There is much talk of social justice and yet atrocities against Dalits are prevalent in Tamil Nadu and action in these cases is ‘awful’, said governor RN Ravi on Sunday, adding to the existing polemics with the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government.
Social justice is a tenet of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu which is often espoused by DMK president and chief minister M K Stalin. The governor also described BR Ambedkar as a nationalist who, he said, is being used for political mobilisation.
The governor was speaking on the occasion of releasing the Tamil version of two books –‘Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery’ and ‘Ambedkar & Modi – Reformer’s Ideals, Performer’s Implementation’ in Chennai.
Minister of state and former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head L Murugan was also present.
The governor pointed out recent discrimination against Dalits such as human faeces found inside their water tank. “When it comes to social discrimination, what have we done? Even here in our state, we have been talking so much about social justice but every other day we hear of some atrocity against Dalits,” the governor said.
“Either human faeces will be put into water tank in a Dalit colony or you will be publicly humiliated, assaulted or not allowed entry into a temple or anganwadi school,” he said.
“When it comes to crimes against Dalits, response of the law enforcement and criminal justice system is awful,” he said, adding, “It pains to know that in our state, in case of rape of Dalit women, only 7% end in conviction. Of 100 rapists, 93 go scott-free. And we talk about social justice! Not just that, when it comes to schemes, a CAG report states that 30% of the central allocation for building homes for Dalits go unspent. And the remaining part is diverted for other purposes.”
The governor said people who spoke “too much” of Ambedkar were blank when asked questions about him. “Some people use his (Ambedkar’s) name to either to accuse or praise others.”
DMK’s ally, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which claims to fight caste-based discrimination and crimes in state, is critical of the governor’s political polemics, often describing him as “speaking like an RSS man”.
VCK MP D Ravikumar said that the data which the governor cited was right. Ravikumar urged the governor to read two of Ambedkar’s books – the Annihilation of Caste and the Philosophy of Hinduism.
“Then he will understand the root cause of atrocities against Dalits,” said Ravikumar, adding that, “I welcome him speaking of issues of discrimination against Dalits in public forums but him stopping at merely talking about those issues is a political act.”
“He has the power and responsibility to direct officials to take action and call for a special meeting for this. Blaming only the state government is not right. Issues against Dalits and poor are common in our country,” he said.
