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
Collection
Citation
Rathi, Suba; M N, Nirmala, “On becoming a demanding Community: Neelam and its March for Justice,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/26343.
