For An Informed Ambedkar Age
Sinthujan Varatharajah When I wrote my piece for Round Table India, “Politicising the personal: Who am I, Who are ‘we’ as people?”, I wasn’t really sure what the repercussions will be of coming out as an inter-caste/Dalit to the outside. Of course I expected personal attacks and libel, which indeed followed in all predictable …
Sinthujan Varatharajah Few diasporans will today come to talk about how caste practices in regards to marriage respond to larger political dynamics and power relations. Endogamy, as the most common marriage practice amongst Hindus, necessarily leads to social exclusion and discrimination. Marriage is traditionally assumed to be the foundation of a political institution, the family. …
Sinthujan Varatharajah The role of the LTTE in challenging the caste hierarchy in Eelam has been much talked about and documented. Much (valid) praise has been given to the organisation for its anti-casteist stance and attempts (not success) to overthrow casteism amongst Eelam Tamils. The LTTE has indeed played a significant role in caste …
Sinthujan Varatharajah He sat down in the crammed living room of a flat in a low-income suburb in Toronto, Canada. Every weekend he would travel to the other end of the city to enter the 12th floor of a high rise complex in the immigrant area. He would arrive at 11 AM and sit …