This is my World

You have to know me as a person before you read this article. This is not history, but a perspective and it is absolutely necessary to know the relevant details about the writer before reading their perspectives.  I'm not a Brahmin. I was born into the Nadar caste, which was suppressed by the then upper castes in the colonial era and liberated later. However, I do not consider myself a part of that caste anymore. Under the cover of building an identity and a sense of community, organised castes have developed only hatred towards other castes and I do not belong there. Though I'm an atheist and though I do not practice/preach religious rituals, my spiritual(not religious) beliefs are rooted in the philosophy of Tamils, most of which modern-day Hinduism has encapsulated. So, I'm part atheist, part Hindu (rather a strange combination). I love Tamil immensely. I will do anything to promote her, but I will not impose her on a non-Tamil speaker. I believe in freedom, equality a...

I'm a weird breed. I'm an atheist who finds peace in temples. I don't believe in religion, but I do have faith. I am not a spiritualist, but I'm traditional. I take pride in being humble, but I don't believe I'm a puppet in someone's hands. I don't believe men and women are the same, but I believe in gender equality. I neither believe in religion(the received truth) nor in science(the perceived truth). I believe fundamentalism is dangerous, but I believe pure rationalism is sinister.  The debate: In the last few days, a debate has been raging in Tamil Nadu. Its about a piece of jewelry(that is what it has been reduced these days) associated with marriage - the Thaali, the Tamil's version of Mangalsutra. It's held sacred by the Tamil Hindu community, but since the dawn of the twentieth century, a few people have raised their voice in support of the people who have chosen not to wear it. The notable ones being E.V. Ramasamy(Periyar), Anna Durai a...

The Indian independence movement brought to fore great souls who were selfless and honest. While many of them resigned back to peace after independence, others ventured into politics. Not to make money or name for themselves, but to provide a better life for the suffering and the unprivileged. Though a few of them are still remembered today, most of them have been wiped off from the pages of history. One such man is P. Kakkan.  Personal life: Kakkan was born into a Dalit family on 18 June 1908 in a small village called Thumbaipatti near Madurai. He did his primary schooling in Melur - the town closest to his village - before moving to Thirumangalam or Madurai(there is some confusion over where he studied) for higher secondary education. He seemed to have failed the SSLC exam and thereafter, worked as a teacher before becoming a social worker. He was married to Parvati with whom he fathered five sons and a daughter. He was deeply religious and rejected Periyar's ideologies and me...