On becoming a demanding Community: Neelam and its March for Justice

Title

On becoming a demanding Community: Neelam and its March for Justice

Creator

Rathi, Suba; M N, Nirmala

Description

The Neelam Panpattu Maiyam (Neelam Cultural Centre), an anti-caste socio-cultural movement based in Tamil Nadu, has emerged as a political force following its March for Justice rally in response to the murder of Dalit leader, K. Armstrong of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The rally caused unease not only among mainstream political parties but also within certain Dalit political factions, with the media claiming it created divisions within Dalit politics. However, the movement, with strong Dalit assertions, confronts the Dravidian political power of the state head-on, which chose to remain silent about the murder. In contrast to those Dalit leaders who appease the state apparatus by compromising Dalit rights, Neelam demanded elected Dalit leaders to firmly stand for the Dalit cause. Given this recent political upheaval, this study delves into Neelams evolving political role in becoming a more vocal and influential force in contemporary political discourse against caste-based injustices, highlighting the significant impact of the March for Justice rally within and beyond the Dalit politics in the state. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Source

Contemporary South Asia;Volume;33;Issue;4;pp.748-756

Date

01-01-2025

Publisher

Routledge

Subject

Dalit politics; Neelam; Ranjith; social movement; Tamil Nadu

Coverage

Rathi S., Department of English and Cultural Studies, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; M N N., Department of Media Studies, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISSN: 9584935;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Notes

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2025.2530387

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105011760186?origin=resultslist