DR K KRISHNASAMY: Leader of the Puthiya Thamizhagam

DR K KRISHNASAMY: Leader of the Puthiya Thamizhagam


INTRODUCTION
Dalits are the marginalized People. They are the Weaker Sections of India. Today, the SC&ST Dalits are at the core of the Weaker Sections of India. And they still remain as Broken People, even in the Twenty-first Century World. SC&ST Dalits could have played big crucial role, during the last five and half decades of Free India. Their voice could have become decisive in politics, and in the Formation of Govts, in many States and at the Centre. This was not a tall dream at all! Today the SC&ST Dalits in India, are the third largest Population of the World, next only to China, and the whole of India. Therefore, the SCs&STs pale into insignificance many Sovereign States of the World! What is more, with shrewd practical Alliances, SC&ST Dalits could have formed the Govts at the Centre. This should have been possible, much before the end of the Twentieth Century, or at least at the beginning of the third Millennium.

LIFE OF THE LEADER
Here I deal with the life and struggle of a great personality; is the founder leader of the Puthiya Thamizhagam (PT), a party fighting for Dalit rights, in Tamil Nadu .
Dr. K. Krishnasamy was born on April 3, 1954 in Udumalaipattai in Tamil Nadu. He was a physician for many years and later turned to politics and social work.

RISKY LIFE A LEADER
Politics is a hazardous business. He had to undergo many struggles for his vibrant activities. On 26 July 2004 gangsters hurled four bombs on his Toyota Qualis on the Tirunelveli–Tuticorin highway. Krishnasamy, the party’s organizing secretary Velusamy and driver N Selvaraj escaped with injuries. “It was a providential escape,” says a party leader, adding, “Normally our boys accompany our leader in at least five to six vehicles whenever he goes out. But that day nobody went with him.”
Although both Krishnasamy and Thol Thirumavalavan of the Dalit Panthers of India have been attacked by mobs before, this is the first time one of them has come under a bomb attack. “It is with great difficulty that we even hoist our party flags in villages. On many occasions the upper caste people have stoned my vehicle,” says Thirumavalavan. Once, at a public meeting, stones were pelted on him. Thirumavalavan claims he does not depend on the police for protection, the attacks not withstanding. [1]

SITUATION IN INDIA
More than five decades after untouchability was declared punishable under Article 17 of the Constitution, which ensures equality to all before law, Dalits, who form one-fifth of the population, continue to suffer caste-based discrimination and disablement in many parts of the country. They are left with no choice but to fight for their Constitutional rights, in courts or on the streets. Dalit assertion in most places is met with stiff resistance from casteist forces. The resistance is often severe; it even takes violent forms when the matter of dispute of rights relates to temples, festivals and rituals. Enforcing court orders in favour of Dalits is a daunting task for the administration.

ACTIVITIES AND STRUGGLES
Traditionally, Dalits come under attack from Vanniyars in northern districts and Thevars in southern districts. But with the emergence of Thirumavalavan and Krishnasamy as strong political factors in the state, the Dalits have also started retaliating. M Punitha Pandian, the editor of Dalit Murasu, says, “The government claims untouchability is on the wane, citing decreasing number of cases under the Protection of Civil Rights and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. But the truth is that the police refuse to register cases.”

Krishnasamy who had been struggling all through his life to Develop the Dalits, had won at the risk of his own life, safety and physical wellbeing, many rights, concessions, legal guarantees and social promises for his People – the Dalits.
THE KANDADEVI TEMPLE CAR FESTIVAL
In fact, in 1997, the sole Dalit participant in the car festival was allegedly beaten by a section of caste Hindus. Following this incident, Puthiya Thamizhagam president and a member of the State Assembly, Dr. S. Krishnaswamy, who toured the area, demanded at a press conference that Dalits be given equal rights along with other communities in the temple car festival. In 1998, Dalits staked their claim to participate in the festival, which was scheduled for July 7. Local leaders of the Puthiya Thamizhagam, a party that generally champions the cause of Dalits, announced that Krishnaswamy would lead the Dalit participants in pulling the car. Fearing that `a law and order problem' might arise, the police and revenue officials held a series of meetings with leaders of both Dalits and Nattars. Dalits demanded that they be given police protection to enable them to pull the temple car.

BETWEEN DALITS AND THEVARS
The conflicts between Dalits and Thevars, a caste Hindu social group, the southern districts are not new in the state and Dalits have mostly been at the receiving end. A significant out come of the confrontation between Dalits and caste Hindus in different parts of the state for nearly a decade is the emergence of two principal organizations, Puthiya Thamizhagam led by Dr.K.Krishnasamy and Viduthalai Siruthaigal of Thol Thirumavalavan

In a 1990s, a Dalit reply was to get organized. The informal movements demonstrated a strength outset from numbers as good as unity, though additionally brought out a little fundamental limitation. First, of March was an actuality they did not have resources, a crew as good as care to set up as good as means large-scale movements. Of a three, care was a most crucial. It is in this context which a services of K.Krishnasamy as good as Thirumavalavan have to be appreciated, a former a healing practitioner as good as a after a good placed supervision official. Both of them gave partial time assistance to depressed associate Dalit initially, after they became leaders of Dalit Movements as good as have given emerged as domestic personalities. Their postulated bid as good as personal sacrifices have succeeded in mobilizing Dalits, enthusing some-more Dalits to persevere time for a movements, as good as generated resources to have a movements sincerely good determined in a state.[2]

DALIT WOMEN MOVEMENT
With the help of various NGOs in Tamil Nadu; Puthiya Thamizhagam organized Dalit women and start highlighting the issues of dalit wherever they find. Thirty voluntary leaders from 30 districts of Tamil Nadu coordinate together and take this movement to the grass roots. This movement is open for Dalit women who can address their issues and atrocities where this movement fights for the rights and justice. This movement is active in 16 districts of Tamil Nadu and takes issues of violence against Dalits, untouchable practices, discrimination, atrocities against them and the denial of livelihood rights.[3]

CONCLUSION
Krishnasamy dreamt rather fondly, that with all the Rights, Concessions, Administrative Assurances, Social Promises, Legal Guarantees, and Constitutional Promises, SC&ST Dalits would rather soon develop to be on their own, and get their due recognition as being the real makers of India. Given their long historic evolution, stamina and sustaining capacity even in the face of adverse circumstances, they should have established themselves as a force in the Democracy that followed Independence. With their massive numbers of more than two hundred and sixty million today, SC&ST Dalits collectively could have become the kingmakers.


BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://sacredcowtipping.com/a-study-on-dalit-women-movement-in-tamilnadu.html.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Krishnasamy.

http://beaufortcompumedics.com/category/womens-issues.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Krishnasamy.
[2] http://beaufortcompumedics.com/category/womens-issues.
[3] http://sacredcowtipping.com/a-study-on-dalit-women-movement-in-tamilnadu.html.