Dalit Politics and Democratisation in Tamil Nadu? Charting the Impact of the Liberation Panther Party
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sociology
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Damodaran K,
(2017)
Madurai Formula Films: Caste Pride and Politics in Tamil Cinema
in South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Gorringe H
(2019)
'A voice for the last and least': Thirumavalavan and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi in the Lok Sabha
in Contemporary South Asia
Gorringe H
(2016)
Questions of honour: Dalit women activists and the rumour mill in Tamil Nadu
in Contemporary South Asia
Gorringe H
(2018)
Afterword: Gendering Caste: Honor, Patriarchy and Violence
in South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Gorringe H
(2016)
Out of the Cheris Dalits Contesting and Creating Public Space in Tamil Nadu
in Space and Culture
Gorringe H
(2013)
Nandanar's children: the Paraiyans' tryst with destiny, Tamil Nadu 1850-1956
in Contemporary South Asia
Gorringe H
(2016)
Drumming out oppression, or drumming it in? Identity, culture and contention in dalit politics
in Contributions to Indian Sociology
Gorringe H
(2016)
Dalit Parties and the Dilemmas of Democratization in Tamil Nadu
in Studies in Indian Politics
Gorringe H
(2017)
Caste: experiences in South Asia and beyond
in Contemporary South Asia
Gorringe Hugo
(2017)
Panthers in Parliament: Dalits, Caste, and Political Power in South India
| Description | In 1999 the Dalit Panther Movement abandoned a long boycott and entered electoral competition as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK - Liberation Panther Party) amidst a fierce debate about the merits and demerits of political participation. The transformation occurred largely to avoid socio-political repression and pressure more than from any real faith in politics. Opponents insisted that politics was a sewer that would corrupt and defile the movement (Gorringe 2005). Over a decade later, I returned to find out what party members and Dalits on the ground make of the party's performance. In 2012 I revisited my earlier fieldsite and adopted a similar ethnographic approach. Research focused on Madurai district in south-central Tamil Nadu. I carried out 60 formal and 58 informal interviews and had countless conversations with party members, affiliates, and members of other Dalit organisations in villages, towns and cities in order to capture attitudes and changes since 1999. Several interviews were with activists I had interacted with in 1999, thus giving the research a longitudinal dimension. As in the earlier research, I also observed 24 key events held by the party or other Dalit outfits and captured the speeches as well as the atmosphere of the occasions. Finally, Roger Jeffery and I secured election data from CSDS enabling us to place the experiences of the VCK within a wider Indian context of Dalit politics. Echoing the wider literature on activist institutionalisation, I discovered widespread disillusionment with the party. The intensity, awareness and mobilisation which characterised the movement in 1999 have decreased. Factional conflicts and distrust are now out in the open, and there is a persistent accusation that local leaders prioritise their own well-being over that of the party and the people. Becoming a party has also forced the VCK to reach out to non-Dalits, meaning that some Dalit respondents felt abandoned or betrayed. The ethnographic approach highlighted a disparity between media and leader perspectives of the movement and those of Dalits on the ground. Despite this, most Dalit respondents felt an attachment to the party. Analysis has focused on the following key areas: 1) The politicisation of caste (as seen in articles for Seminar, Economic and Political Weekly, The Hindu, Frontline and my research monograph 'Panthers in Parliament'): the central finding here relates to the wider social impact of Dalit mobilisation. The entry of autonomous Dalit parties to the mainstream has compelled other groups such as the communists to address caste discrimination directly, and prompted counter mobilisation on behalf of intermediate caste groups; 2) The attempt to move beyond the Dalit category (as in the paper for The South Asianist, the paper for Studies in Indian Politics and the book): the bi-polar nature of Tamil politics means that Dalit votes alone are insufficient to gain electoral victories. My research charts their attempts to forge wider alliances by recourse to Tamil nationalism, and unpacks the processes involved. It is clear that this move has limited benefits for ordinary Dalits, and most parties continue to view the VCK as lesser partners; 3) Processes that I have termed 'informal institutionalisation' that lead new parties to adopt particular ways of doing politics rather than just entering institutions (as seen in the papers in Still's volume, in the papers for Samaj and for Studies in Indian Politics and in my 2017 monograph): what I suggest is that analyses of institutionalisation need to pay more attention to the informal and social processes of change as well as the more formal and institutional ones. VCK priorities, for example, reflect new networks with established politicians rather than just a new way of doing formal politics; 4) the gendered nature of party politics (as seen in papers in Ciotti's edited volume, Kapadia and Anandhi's volume, a forthcoming piece for Samaj and my paper in Contemporary South Asia): key findings here are that Dalit politics continues to be structured in ways that marginalise women's voices. Even as more women have joined the party, therefore, gender concerns have remained peripheral; 5) Finally, the research has added insights into the political preferences of Dalits (with Roger Jeffery for Marginalisation Conference and volume): whilst the paper sheds some insights on voting in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it also highlights the limits of survey data in this field and raises questions about how best to measure political participation. Additionally, unexpected findings to have emerged from the research relate to: a) caste and film (a paper on this, co-authored with Karthikeyan, has been published by SAMAJ): we have related the rise of an aggressive Backward Caste politics based on pride and militancy to the neo-nativist films focused on Backward Caste identities from the 1980s onwards; b) Debates over strategy and cultural politics (paper in Contributions to Indian Sociology, article in Frontline and seminar presented at UCL that became a chapter in my 2017 book): the CIS paper relates to ongoing and heated debate over the role of the parai drum in Dalit mobilisation. Whilst many Dalit activists celebrate it as a weapon in the Dalit struggle others are appalled that the symbol of caste humiliation is celebrated at all. In terms of cultural politics, my analysis of statues and VCK interventions in issues such as the cartoon controversy over the use of a carton of Ambedkar in school textbooks, highlights the materiality of symbolic politics. I argue against the distinction between 'real' and symbolic politics and call for more nuanced analysis of the wider impact of symbols and the processes that go into their production; c) Finally, initial work in the field on the web presence of the VCK led to an invitation to address the party on the interplay between social movements and social media. Early indicators of the significance of my research include invitations to write for accessible magazines and blogs and to take part in a TV panel debate. I was also invited to an EHRC expert seminar on Caste in the UK and have subsequently teamed up with colleagues in Manchester and Mumbai to put together proposal on transnational Dalit activism that was submitted to the ESRC in September 2014. This was not successful, but has reinforced links with key scholars. |
| Exploitation Route | The research has already had some user engagement and public dissemination (see narrative impact). Articles written for Seminar, Economic and Political Weekly and The Hindu have been widely circulated and discussed and the book has been reviewed in academic and media outlets. I see the research as being of use to several core groups: Firstly, the VCK itself: party activists and leaders have been kept informed of research outputs and findings and I have heard informally that they have been discussed by leaders. The General Secretary of the Party posted a video review of my book on his Facebook page. Key recommendations about party structure, strategy and focus could inform the party going forward. Secondly, dissemination through accessible and widely read outlets means that the research may be of use in educating the general public and policy makers about continuing forms of caste discrimination. Economic and Political Weekly is widely read by academics, educated members of the public and policy makers, as is The Hindu. Reviews of my book in The Wire and in The Hindu were widely shared and commented on. Thirdly, the research could be taken up and used by advocacy groups working for Dalit rights. C. Nicholas of the Dalit Land Rights Movement has noted the utility of my work in this regard. Finally, the research will be of use to academics seeking to understand contemporary caste dynamics and the politics of caste in Tamil Nadu. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | http://www.sociology.ed.ac.uk/current_research/current/dalit_politics |
| Description | The research has generated debate and discussion through articles written for accessible and widely-read publications; through public lectures and conferences and through user-engagement initiatives. Articles published in Seminar, Economic and Political Weekly, Frontline and The Hindu have been widely circulated and discussed as have reviews of my book. I have published three op-ed pieces in The Hindu newspaper - the leading English language newspaper of record in the country - that draw on key aspects of my research. These have focused on the contentious caste 'census', on the social antecedents of caste violence and on new caste dynamics in south India. These pieces generated a series of comments and letters to the newspaper. Additionally, I co-wrote a paper on the symbolic and political significance of Ambedkar statues. This was carried in the issue of Frontline magazine - one of the most recognised current affairs outlets in India - which was launched by vice-President Hamid Ansari. I was also invited to contribute an overview of the interplay between caste and politics in Tamil Nadu for the well-respected and accessible organ of opinion and policy Seminar magazine in an issue devoted to contemporary caste dynamics. Evidence of the wider interest in the research is seen in that my papers for Seminar and The Hindu resulted in invitations for user-friendly analyses for Bheem Patrika - a Dalit journal in northern India; Manorama Yearbook - described as 'the largest selling general knowledge update in the country', and the well-known Centre Right India blog whose mission is 'to provide high-quality, independent analyses of political, social, and cultural issues that concern the Indian public and in doing so, strengthen Indian democracy'. K.C. Narayanan, editor of Manorama Yearbook, for example stated: 'I write this note after reading your article in today's Hindu, on the caste violence in Tamil Nadu. It was really impressive and useful for those who are observing the changing scenario of caste politics in India'. Similarly, Prasanna, editor at Centre-Right India wrote: 'I recently read your outstanding essay in Seminar Magazine titled: Caste and Politics in Tamil Nadu. It was really perspicacious and offered a lot of insights I am hoping if you could write a column/essay covering the Tamil Nadu politics that you have explored as part of your research'. In November 2014, CNN-IBN requested an interview having read the Hindu article on the caste census, saying: 'it was such a great analytical piece on complex Indian society'. I have also co-authored three short pieces aimed at prompting debate and disseminating research findings in Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). EPW combines current affairs commentary with social research and brings 'academics, researchers, policy makers, independent thinkers, members of non-governmental organisations and political activists' into debate with each other over critical issues. The dissemination strategy for the project deliberately targeted such pieces as a means of reaching out to the activists and party members who are the core focus of the research. Blog pieces in activist focused sites like RoundTableIndia - a Dalit focused site that 'aims to focus on the twin objectives of generating information and interaction necessary to aid, in howsoever small way, the progress of the Dalits' - have enabled the research to reach a much wider audience. Finally, I have taken the research to a wider audience in the UK, by means of an appearance on Thinking Allowed (BBC Radio 4) to discuss my key findings with Laurie Taylor, and exchange in the letters page of the Financial Times about caste and capitalism. This engagement and dissemination has continued as analysis of the data has advanced. In 2014, I published three pieces drawing on my research in EPW. One co-authored piece on Caste and Vegetarianism has been widely discussed. I also contributed two analyses of Tamil politics to the new online media outlet: The Wire - which was set up by the former editor of The Hindu. Finally, the paper that Karthikeyan and I wrote on film and caste, formed the basis for a news story in The NewsMinute: http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/sankar-verdict-and-caste-pride-how-has-tamil-cinema-contributed-glorifying-caste-73165?amp Educated members of the public were also reached through a series of public lectures in 2012 in Madurai, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. Each of these lectures was advertised in the local media and attended by between 30 and 50 people in each case. The lectures drew on data gathered in the field, and the talk in Madurai was delivered in English and Tamil for the benefit of local audiences. Wider engagement has occurred through a series of presentations and conferences including a workshop in Edinburgh that brought activists and academics together. The workshop focused on caste and politics in Tamil Nadu and was attended by a group of nearly 20 experts. Alongside leading academics, the workshop included key figures from the Dalit land-rights struggle and from Dalit politics. A panel on caste for the British Association of South Asian Studies annual conference was attended by a British Dalit activist keen to discuss caste issues. A workshop on institutionalisation and marginal actors has been published as a volume edited by Roger Jeffery, Suryakant Waghmore and I (From the Margins to the Mainstream, Sage 2016). It is expected to be of interest to user groups as well as academics. Finally, I have also sought to take the findings of the research directly to user groups in a number of ways. Firstly I participated in a number of Dalit movement meetings and contributed to them. In June 2012, for example, I addressed a meeting of the party I was studying to offer feedback on findings to leaders and the members at the event. This was a public and widely advertised meeting that drew an audience of over 300 people including the central leader of the party and the talk was delivered in Tamil. This meeting was followed up with a brief resume of findings and all papers and articles have been circulated to key figures within the party. Furthermore, an interview that I conducted with a party leader has been published online in full. This has been taken up in several places and reprinted in several blogs in India. One of the General Secretaries of the party was invited to a conference of activists and academics in Edinburgh. He was unable to attend at the last minute, but joined the workshop by Skype and interacted with the participants and exchanged ideas and discussed key issues with us. The proceedings were written up and published in Seminar magazine. I have remained in contact with key figures in the party and sent copies of all outputs to them. In an interview with another research scholar, Gowthamma Sanna - propaganda secretary of the VCK - cited my work: 'When Hugo Gorringe presented a paper in our seminar, his concluding sentence stated, 'please work offline.' He advised us, "if you need to work online, it may prove beneficial, but you must also work offline" This is a very important observation because we also must do offline work'. Sanna sent a transcript of the interview to me and is looking to have it published soon. Ravikumar, the party General Secretary posted a video review of my book on his Facebook page and offered a detailed engagement with the volume. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Marginal Populations, Social Mobilisation and Development (UKUTP201100138) |
| Amount | £25,700 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | UKUTP201100138 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2012 |
| End | 12/2014 |
| Description | This grant helped gain the UKIERI grant documented under further funding. This funded a partnership with TISS, Mumbai. |
| Organisation | Tata Institute of Social Sciences |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As part of a thematic partnership we held a research training workshop for PhD students; ran a workshop with activists and policy-makers to discuss marginality in India; staged a workshop on institutionalisation that may feed into an edited collection and are hosting a conference on Dalit politics. From the University of Edinburgh we supplied staff and expertise and hosted the workshop on institutionalisation. I am co-editing the volume emerging from the workshop. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Colleagues from TISS hosted the research methods event and the policy workshop and are co-ordinating the Dalit conference. A TISS colleague is co-editing the edited volume. In terms of the ESRC grant, TISS facilitated my visa, provided accommodation in Mumbai and offered a venue for dissemination and discussion of initial findings. |
| Impact | Outputs from this grant are mostly pending. Two outputs so far are: Waghmore, S and Gorringe, H. 2014. 'Social science research and inclusive polices: a focus on Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims', The South Asianist 3(1): http://www.southasianist.ed.ac.uk/article/view/1055 Gorringe, H and Waghmore, S. 2013. 'Dalits and the Challenge of Caste Inequality in India', pp 815-818 in Mathew, M (ed) Manorama Yearbook 2014. Delhi: Malayala Manorama. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | A new churning in the caste cauldron |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Op-Ed for the Hindu newspaper The Hindu |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-new-churning-in-the-caste-cauldron/article5241161.ece |
| Description | Appearance on Thinking Allowed (Radio 4) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Appeared on Thinking Allowed with Laurie Taylor to discuss my research on 26 July 2014. The programme is heard by people across the UK. None as yet. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ta |
| Description | Asked to discuss the caste census on CNN-IBN |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | I was pert of a four-person panel discussing the caste-census on a CNN-IBN news programme on 7th November 2014. I was asked to contribute following my newspaper articles. The CNN-IBN news programme goes out across India and has a huge audience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/511339/is-caste-based-census-a-political-minefield.html |
| Description | Blog Post for OUP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | OUP asked for a blog post on issue related to my recent book. Their blog has a wide reach and readership. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://blog.oup.com/2017/02/panthers-parliament-dalit-politics/ |
| Description | Caste and the Count |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An op-ed piece on the caste census in India in The Hindu. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3453076.ece The Hindu |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3453076.ece |
| Description | Caste, The Body & Dalit Politics: Making and Contesting Caste in TN |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Public lecture presented at Madurai Kamaraj University. The paper was presented in a mix of Tamil and English. The paper generated discussion and debate about Dalit politics and the embodied nature of caste. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/madurai-today/article3805927.ece |
| Description | Caste, Violence and the Everyday |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities discussion on violence. Toby Kelly and I were the speakers. Generated a discussion on violence and non-violence. A short report may be found here: www.crc.hss.ed.ac.uk/docs/open/crc051212_06_IASH_Report.pdf |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Conference Presentation at BSA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Delivered talk to an audience at the BSA and faced questions and discussion afterwards. The feedback will be used to revise the paper for publication. n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/bsa-annual-conference.aspx |
| Description | Contested cultures of Contention in Dalit Politics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Centre for South Asian Studies Seminar Wrote up paper in response to comments and plan to submit it to a journal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Dalit Blog Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The paper was published on the popular Dalit blog: Round Table India: For an Informed Ambedkar Age. This is a forum which is frequented by Dalit activists and academics and those interested in caste discrimination. This was published on 7th November 2014. As of the 10th, there was no discernible impact, but the piece had been retweeted and 'liked' by several readers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7800:on-political-reservat... |
| Description | Drumming Out Oppression or Drumming it In? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk presented to the Student Christian Movement Human Rights School. The talk generated discussion and debate and was referred to in The Karibu Foundation newsletter. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.karibu.no/viewstories.asp?id=155 |
| Description | From Dalit to Untouchable and Beyond: New Directions in South Indian Dalit Politics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Paper presented at to the Japan-Edinburgh Workshop on "Social Movements and the Subaltern in Postcolonial South Asia" co-organised by scholars from Minkapu and Edinburgh. Paper published as part of a special issue of the South Asianist. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.southasianist.ed.ac.uk/article/view/146 |
| Description | Interview in Paper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was interviewed by The Business Standard following earlier pieces in the media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/little-chance-for-bjp-to-expand-base-in-tn-hugo-go... |
| Description | Media Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Offered analysis of new directions in Tamil politics for media outlet. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://thewire.in/2015/05/22/still-searching-for-new-directions-in-tamil-politics/ |
| Description | Media article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Asked to write op-ed for newspaper. See here: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jayalalithaa-death-tamil-nadu-aiadmk-sasikala-paneerselvam-4422302/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Media article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Asked for piece on Tamil Politics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/sasikalas-big-challenges-include-caste-and-her-family-mafia-1656515 |
| Description | Now we too can twirl our moustaches! Caste, The Body & Dalit Politics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Public Lecture delivered at JNU, Delhi. Generated a lively discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.jnu.ac.in/SSS/CPS/Assistance.htm |
| Description | Out of the Cheris: Dalits Contesting and Creating Space in India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Paper presented at workshop in Penn. Paper written up in light of comments and submitted to a journal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/contestedspaces/ |
| Description | Published a letter in the Financial Times drawing on my research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The letter prompted comments below the line and also a letter in response. After the letter was published I received emails from several people discussing the issues. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3a955ec0-13e5-11e4-8485-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3932frsun |
| Description | Questions of Honour: Dalit Women Activists and the Rumour Mill in Tamil Nadu, South India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Paper presented to FWSA Annual Conference There is talk of a volume of papers presented at the conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Seminar at KCL aimed at academics and the wider public |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give a seminar at Kings College London: 'More Than Just 'Identity Politics': Re-assessing the Use of Symbolic Means in Tamil Dalit Assertion and Caste Politics', Wednesday 26 November, London. The talked sparked questions and discussions afterwards. After the talk one of the participants discussed getting me to address an audience of Tamils in London and another has been in touch to discuss research. As of yet, however, neither of these has led to anything concrete. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/worldwide/initiatives/global/indiainstitute/Events/eventsrecords/Mor... |
| Description | Show me a better party & I'll join it: Dalits, Disillusionment, Disunity & The Durability of Dreams |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Public Lecture delivered at TISS, Mumbai Generated debate about Dalit movements. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Social Media and Socio-Political Movements: Lessons for the VCK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Talk delivered at the launch of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi's new online portal: e-vck. Talk delivered in Tamil. A copy of the paper was pasted here: http://paperedu.org/docs/index-18373.html A copy of the paper was pasted here: http://paperedu.org/docs/index-18373.html |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://paperedu.org/docs/index-18373.html |
| Description | Tamil Dalit Politics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Offered a lecture on contemporary Tamil Dalit politics for Professor Suddha Pai's Dalit Politics MPhil course in JNU, Delhi. Professor Pai asked me to lead the class on discussion of Tamil Dalit politics to improve the students understanding of current developments. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Thirumavalavan at 50 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Contributed a chapter on the VCK leader ot a festshrift for his 50th birthday to be published in Tamil. The chapter was sent to Gowtham Sannah, propaganda secretary of the VCK, but I have not yet seen a published version. The chapter was sent to Gowtham Sannah, propaganda secretary of the VCK, but I have not yet seen a published version. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Vernacularised Institutionalisation and the Compulsions of Politics: Dalit Parties in Tamil Nadu |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Public Lecture delivered at MIDS, Chennai It was advertised to the public and generated some debate. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.buzzintown.com/chennai/events/lecture-vernacularised-institutionalisation-the-compulsions... |
| Description | When Development Triggers Caste Violence |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article on caste violence in Dharmapuri The Hindu |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/when-development-triggers-caste-violence/article4693188.ece?hom... |
| Description | Workshop Participation in Goettingen |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I delivered a paper and was asked to act as discussant for two other papers. The workshop consisted of leading experts in the field and there was a lively discussion after the talk and lots of suggestions for improvement. n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/131257.html |