Michael Collins: Revisiting Antiquity: The Politics of the Past in Modern Dalit Political Discourse
At a time when debates over Indian history have become increasingly politicized, contemporary Dalit politicians are reinterpreting the historical role of Dalits in Tamil Nadu, advancing new historical narratives that run counter to mainstream Indian historiography. These narratives, based upon the premise that Dalit history was written from the ‘outside’, provide a novel perspective that portrays Dalits as active subjects that were historically defiant against external sources of oppression. This past, which is frequently characterized by its militancy, is woven into the present caste movement in Tamil Nadu as Dalit politicians beckon their community to continue a ‘legacy of resistance’ through a modern medium: electoral politics. While projects of historical reinterpretation are critical to modern Indian politics, the Dalit narrative in Tamil Nadu serves a unique function that distinguishes it from similar narratives. Dalit political parties are advancing an interpretation of Dalit history specifically to forge homogeneity amongst an otherwise fragmented Dalit electorate in the state, one which is currently subdivided into seventy-six Scheduled Castes. In exploring the politicization and reinterpretation of Dalit history in modern Tamil Nadu, my paper examines the efficacy of these historical narratives in mobilizing the Dalit electorate and the ways in which these narratives are transforming how some Tamil Dalit communities perceive their past.
Biographical Statment:
Michael Collins is a graduate student in the South Asia Studies doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include Tamil language and politics along with Dalit studies in South India. His fieldwork in Tamil Nadu has examined the social history of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, the largest Dalit political party in the state, and the politicization of regional histories in contemporary South Indian politics
