Caste discrimination widespread in state: TN Guv on Sanatan row

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, addressing a cultural event organised by Tamil Seva Sangam in Thanjavur on Sunday, noted that the state has seen a widespread caste discrimination unlike its neighbouring states.

To establish his argument, Ravi drew attention to the trend of wearing caste bands among the youth in the state. He expressed deep concern over the practice, which, as per the TN Governor, serves as a visible marker of one's caste affiliation.

In his statement, Governor Ravi emphasised that it is an irony that while a government advocates for social justice, such practices prevail in the state that they govern.

"Unfortunately, in Tamil Nadu, social discrimination is still a major problem. In our state, our youth are wearing caste bands. How shameful it is that a state government that talks about social justice and engages in so much politics about it has been exploiting people in the name of caste," lamented Governor Ravi.

Governor Ravi further alleged that people from scheduled castes are often not allowed into temples in TN, adding that this shows how deep-rooted social discrimination is in the state. According to the Governor, it is still a ‘major problem’ in Tamil Nadu, especially when neighbouring states don't seem to have such rampant caste discrimination.

Recounted a string of discriminatory practices in the state merely because of one's caste background, the Governor questioned, "Putting human excreta in the water tank, attacking a schedule caste student by fellow students... What is this?"

He recounted another instance where a child allegedly refused to have food in a school in TN because the cook was a person from the Scheduled Caste.

During his address, Ravi also called for a collective effort towards bringing social consciousness and reform, insisting the state government to not reduce these critical issues to mere political agendas for votes. "It’s shameful, it has to be addressed by social consciousness and by social reform not by politics of vote bank," emphasised Ravi.

Ravi's speech comes in the wake of controversial remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) youth wing leader and Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udhayanidhi Stalin.

On September 2,  Udhayanidhi equated the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like coronavirus, malaria and dengue and allegedly advocating for its eradication. He, during his address, also spoke about historical mistreatment of women within the Sanatan Dharma, citing practices such as Sati, head tonsuring and child marriages.

He said, "What did Sanatan do to women? It pushed widows into the fire (the erstwhile practice of Sati),  shaved the heads of widows and made them wear white saris. Child marriages also occurred."