Devendrar Jayanti

Devendrar Jayanthi is the festival celebrated on September 11 of every year, organised by various political parties, community organisations and civil societies in Southern Tamil Nadu to commorate the memory of Thiyagi Havildar.ImmanuelSekaran, a freedom fighter and Congress leader who took part in Quit India movement during the Indian war of Independence.[1] He worked in Indian Army in Independent India and later he fought for the rights of depressed class people of Southern Tamil Nadu, particualarly for the upliftment of Devendra Kula Vellalars.[2] He is a close associate of the then chief minister K.Kamaraj.

Political background

Gathering at Immanuel sekaran memorial on Devendrar jayanthi

Immanuel devendrar was a congress leader and a close associate of Congress leader K.Kamaraj, was supported by the influential communities of Southern Tamil Nadu like DevendraKulaVellalar and Nadar. The archrival of congress during that period was Forward block. It is believed that during the election clashes were broken between these two parties later changed into clashes between two communities, Devendra kula vellalars and Nadars on one side and Maravars on another side.[3] Sequential violence erupted in southern districts especially in Ramanathapuram district, Madurai district which claimed nearly 42 human lives.[4] In the sequence the congress leader was killed by money mafias. In his memory every year his death anniversary is celebrated in a grand manner by various political parties and community organisations and civil societies as Devendrar jayanthi.[5]

Criticism

Some group of social activists claims that these kind of celebrations mainly used to show the caste pride and power sometimes turns into a caste war and leads to untoward incident.[6][7] It may disrupt the law and order situation and the government had to spend a lot for the purpose of maintaining law and order.[8] They are adding that these kind of celebrations are conducted to show the caste's supremacy in state politics and the political parties also favouring casteism to gain vote bank.[9] On the contrary some activists are claiming that every caste has its own leader and the people are celebrating the memories of their leaders and so nothing wrong in celebrating Immanuel sekaran jayanthi. Despite of these arguments every year the government is struggling to maintain the law and order during these celebrations.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Thiyagi Immanuel Sekaran".
  2. ↑ "Immanuel Sekaran an Icon of depressed class".
  3. ↑ "Caste riots of South Tamilnadu".
  4. ↑ "Series of violence that shooked the south".
  5. ↑ "Devendrar jayanthi".
  6. ↑ "Law and Order problem".
  7. ↑ "Paramakudi police firing".
  8. ↑ "Immanuel devendrar remebrance day passes of peacefully".
  9. ↑ "Caste reality of Tamilnadu politics".
  10. ↑ "Immanueal Sekaran jayanthi celebrations".
  11. ↑ "Sekaran jayanthi passes of peacefully".
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.