Thol. Thirumavalavan

Template:Infobox revolution biography Thol. Thirumavalavan (Tamil: திருமாவளவன், born August 17, 1962), one of India's foremost Dalit leaders, is President of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (Liberation Panthers Party), a political party and grassroots movement that seeks caste annihilation and Tamil Nationalism. Known today for his fiery oration, mass mobilization capacities and subversive scholarly writings, he forayed into electoral politics in 1999.

He has been advocating for the rights and welfare of Dalits and all depressed people in the society. He has led and is leading several struggles against atrocities,Temple Entry movements and other Social Movements for Dalits. He is also an active supporter of the LTTE and advocates the creation of Tamil Eelam in most of his speeches.

Early Life and Career

File:Young thiruma.jpg

Young Thirumaa

Thirumavalavan, was the second child of Tholkappian (Ramasamy) and Periyammal, and was born in the non-descript village of Anganur in Perambalur District in Tamil Nadu, India. His parents, who were agricultural laboureres, raised six children, of whom Thirumavalavan was the only one whom they could afford to educate. His father Tholkappian studied up to the eighth grade, while his mothers remained uneducated. After completion of his schooling, he joined the Pre-University Course in 1978 in Arulmigu Kolanjiappar Governmentt Arts College, Virudhachalam (Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu). He subsequently studied B.Sc Chemistry at Presidency College, Chennai. He then went on to take a master's in Criminology from the University of Madras. His interest in advocacy and legal reform, made him gain admission to the Madras Law College where he completed his degree in criminal law.

Equipped with degrees in criminology and law, Thirumavalavan joined the State Government's Forensic Sciences Department as a Scientific Assistant, a post that he held until he resigned on August 17, 1999.

As a student, he was influenced by the protests against the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The refugee influx into Tamil Nadu brought to light the atrocities committed on Tamils by the Sri Lanka Army. An incensed Thirumavalavan started organizing students to take out rallies condemning these atrocities. He edited a little magazine Viduthalai Puli (Liberation Tiger) as a college student where he would write essays and poems in support of the suffering Tamils. In 1984, he held his first public meeting at Periyar Thidal in Chennai which was well-attended.

He experienced caste-based discrimination when he was not elected as President of the Law College Students Wing in spite of his immense popularity because he was a Dalit.

Public Life

His earliest involvement in public life can be traced to 1979, when, as a 17-year-old he courted arrested for taking part in Dalit students' agitations and Ambedkarist organizations' struggles.However, it was only in 1983 that he embraced activism and started to work from the frontlines for the cause of Eelam Tamils and organized a student movement to support them. In 1985, he founded the Youth Welfare Organization, that mobilized Dalit and fishermen youth and students in coastal areas. He served as its General Secretary, and conducted cycle-rallies, agitations and seminars in support of Eelam liberation. Then, as a leader of the All College Students Federation, he organized several demonstrations to condemn the anti-Tamil atrocities of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) that went to Sri Lanka.

As a student of the Madras Law College, Thirumavalavan and his followers burnt copies of the 'New Educational Policy' (Navodaya) in front of their college campus and got arrested. He also participated in the rail-roko organized by the 'Dravidar Kazhagam' in support of the Eelam Tamils and was arrested in Saidapet, Chennai. He was the leader of the Eelam Tamils Protection Federation, a student organization, and indulged in several demonstrations. He also organized a human chain in Parry's Corner, Chennai in 1987 to draw people's attention to the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka.

In 1988, when he was posted in Madurai as a Junior Assistant in the Forensic Sciences Department, a Dalit leader Malaichamy came to visit him since he had heard of Thirumavalavan's oratory skills and his commitment to the cause of Dalits. Malaichamy was the Tamil Nadu state convenor of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) and this branch of the party had been inaugurated by Dr.Ambedkar's wife Savitha herself in 1982 in Madurai. Maharashtrian Dalit leader Ramdas Athwale was present at the inaugural function. Malaichamy had come to invite Thirumavalavan to speak at a function that was organized to celebrate the centenary of revolutionary Dr. Ambedkar.

After Malaichamy's sudden death in 1989, the members of the DPI urged him to be their leader. Although he initially hesitated, they held a meeting on January 21, 1990 and declared him their leader. When Thirumavalavan took over as the convenor of the Dalit Panthers of India, he decided to give a new identity to the social movement, so he named it Viduthalai Chiruthaigal (Liberation Panthers).

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi

In 1990, when he took over as DPI chief, Thirumavalavan designed the policy and flag of the movement. On Dr.Ambedkar's birth anniversary April 14, 1990, he hoisted the blue and red flag with a five-pronged star in the centre. The blue symbolized the liberation of the working class, the red the colour of revolution. The star stood for the empowerment of the Dalit people, each side represented an aspect such as the annihilation of caste, Tamil nationalism, women's rights, anti-imperialism, and class struggle.

As convenor of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal, he guided several agitations. He was arrested for taking part in an aeroplane-blockade in Madurai to demand special reservation for the Dalits. He was once again arrested when he led an agitation to protest the anti-Tamil violence of the Sri Lankan Government and burned then President Chandrika Kumaratunga's effigy. In order to fight against the anti-Dalit caste atrocities and police atrocities on Dalits, he organized a picketing demonstration in Perambalur district. Later, when the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal treasurer Mudakatthan Pandian was murdered he declared a statewide bandh to denounce the killing and demand a CBI probe. As a consequence, the state government arrested him and lodged him in the Vellore Central Prison as a preventive measure.

Political office

The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal under Thirumavalavan was a grassroots movement that challenged atrocities against Dalits. From 1990 to 1999, a systematic campaign against electoral politics. However, the party faced severe pressure from the State Govrnment. Criminal cases were foisted on its activists and they were not allowed to function. Therefore, Thirumavalavan, in the long-term interests of the Dalit people, converted his movement into a political party. He allied with G. K. Moopanar's 'Tamil Maanila Congress' and represented the Third Front. The party contested in the Parliamentary constituencies of Chidambaram and Perambalur. Thirumavalavan contested in Chidambaram and he managed to poll 2.25 lakh votes in his debut elections. The party won nearly one lakh votes in Perambalur also, and it was acknowedged by the everybody that the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal had transformed into a political force to reckon with.

In 2001 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal allianced with 'Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam' and contested in 8 seats. Thirumaa elected from Mangalore Constituency to State Legislative Assembly. Later he resigned from the Legislative Assembly on February 3, 2004 since the DMK Coalition did not give due ‘political recognition’ to the Dalits in the Parliamentary Elections.

In the 2004 Parliamentary Elections, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal party formed the People's Front, the third front in Tamil Nadu along with Janatha Dal (United), which was an alternative to the DMK-Congress and AIADMK-BJP combines. The party contested in eight parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu and the lone constituency in Puducherry. Thirumavalavan contested once again from Chidambaram and polled 2.57 lakh votes and lost by a narrow margin. The BJP-AIADMK combine's candidate had to forfeit the deposit. It was widely believed that the Muslim populace in Chidambaram did not vote for Thirumavalavan because of his alliance with 'George Fernandes' of the JD(U).

Thirumavalavan joined the AIADMK alliance in the 2006 elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. His party was recognized by the Election Commission of India as a registered political party on March 2, 2006. He chose not to contest in any constituency and instead concentrated on campaigning for his party. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi contested in 9 seats in Tamil Nadu and 2 seats in Puducherry. The party won 2 of them: 'Durai. Ravikumar' won from Kattumannarkoil; 'Selvaperunthagai' from Mangalore constituency. In this election, Thirumavalavan introduced some Dalit writers into direct politics: Durai.Ravikumar and Unjai. Arasan.

In October 2006, the elections to the local bodies took place. The AIADMK boycotted the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and ill-treated their cadres. Consequently, the party had to forge an alliance with the DMK-led combine and take part in the polls.

Political activities

As a political leader he condemned and protested against the Forcible Religious Conversion Prohibition Act by giving Tamil names to 30,000 people who shed their earlier names which carried caste, religious and sanskritic identities in two massive functions held in Chennai ( December 6, 2002) and Madurai (April 14, 2003). He denounced and burnt copies of the Mohan Commission report which probed into the Tamarabharani murders (Tirunelveli) and of the Gomathinayagam Commission report which probed into the police atrocity at Kodiyankulam since the reports were blatantly anti-Dalit. He participated in several agitations of the friendly parties that opposed the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act (TESMA). He founded the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) Opposition Front in Chennai and participated in several agitations held against the POTA all over Tamil Nadu. He also led a hunger-fast with the demand that the Prime Minister should resign his position for not having found an equitable solution to the Cauvery water dispute.

Books

His books in Tamil include 'Aththumeeru' (Trangress), 'Tamizhargal Hindukkala?' (Are the Tamils, Hindus?), 'Eelam Enral Puligal, Puligal Enral Eelam' (Eelam means Tigers, Tigers means Eelam), 'Hindutuvathai Veraruppom' (We Shall Uproot Hindutva), 'Saadhiya Sandharpavaadha Aniyai Veezhtuvom' (We Shall Defeat the Casteist Opportunist Alliance).

Two of his books have been published in English by Stree-Samya Books, Kolkata: Talisman: Extreme Emotions of Dalit Liberation (political essays written for 34 weeks in the India Today magazine's Tamil edition) and Uproot Hindutva: The Fiery Voice of the Liberation Panthers (contains 12 of his speeches).

Tamil icon

He has become an icon of Tamil people across of the world because of his continued support to their troubles. He was a distinguished guest at the Maanudathin Tamizh Koodal (Humanity's Tamil Meet) in Jaffna organized by Arts and Literature Association and organizations like Nitharsanam. He was also a chief guest in a conference jointly organized by the Federation of Tamil Associations of North America (FeTNA) and the World Tamil Organization. He was awarded the title Senthamizh Kaavalar (Guardian of Tamil) to appreciate his effort of giving Tamil names to 20,000 people for retrieval of Tamil identity.

Thirumavalavan was honoured with the title Ezhuchhi Tamizhar (Revolutionary Tamilian) in recognition of his services to the Tamil people by literary associations of the Tamils residing in Arab countries and the Thaaimann Reader's Circle.

Movies

Thirumavalavan has been cast in the leading role of a film titled 'Kalaham' (Mutiny). He plays the character of Balasingham, a law college professor, which is being directed by Mu Kalanchiyam. This will be his second film. In his first film 'Anbu Thozhi' (Lady Love), directed by L. G. Ravichandran, he played the role of a Tamil militant leader Karuppu. Critics and admirers alike felt that this role was modeled on Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He made a cameo appearance in Mansoor Ali Khan's 'Ennai Paar Yogam Varum'.

References

Further reading

• We'll continue our social struggle:Thirumaa
• Thirumavalavan elected VCK president
• Thirumavalavan not to contest polls
• Thirumavalavan urges Center to hold referendum on extending LTTE ban
• Thirumavalavan wants reservation for rajya sabha posts
• Thirumavalavan invites minorities

External links

• Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
• Thamizhmann Magazine