Dravidian Show Of Strength

Trichy (TN): The powerful cadre-based socio-cultural organisation, Dravida Khaza- gam established by Periyar E V. Raswamy, held its mammoth State-level convention here on June 12 & from all accounts it was a mighty show of strength of the vast exploited shudras groaning under the centuries-old high-caste domination. Coming after a series of dt-level conferences in different parts of the State, the Trichy convention is considered the biggest conclave that the DK has staged in history. The credit for organising such a disciplined show goes to its general secretary Veermani & his able band of lieutenants. Observers said after the Trichy convention neither the pro-RSS MGR govt. of TN nor the Govt. of India could so easily ignore the rising aspirations of the suffering shudras. Trichy was also a tuming-point in the history of DK. It has started securing the support of dalits. Muslims. Christians & even many progressives in upper castes. Many CPM & CPI cadres were seon attending the convention. While on one side RSS is growing in TN, DK has proved to be the only other force that could effectively counter its influence. The Left party leadership being in the hands of the high caste “ponoot communists”, they are getting increasingly isolated in the TN politics. Ram Vilas Paswan, Jaipal Singh Keshyap, Prof. D. P. Yadav, all MPs from North. told this reporter that they had never witnessed such a mammoth gathering in their life. The over mile-long DK procession of June 13 morning was some thing to be seen to bo believed. One RSS worker watching the procession said that it excelled the best of their processions. Over 50,000 black-robed men and women participated in the orderty march. A highlight of the procession was that several hundred Muslim League boys waving green flags greeted Veeramani and garlanded him. When the procession approached the Christian area, seminary boys came up and garlanded Veeramanai. Dalits joined the procession in thousands. What gave added import- ance to the convention was a well-planned attack on DK boys by some Brahmina on June 6. The press and the police helped to give the widest publicity to this violence putting the blame on DK but the publicity only helped to attract thousands of people from different parts of the State to Trichy. The TN press want on publishing statements of different party leaders and Brahmin associations condemning the DK but this gave indirect publicity to the convention. Veeramani effectively countered the Brahmin charge saying that “DIK nevar believed in criticising individual Brahmins, but only Brahminism