The 69% Exception
Outlook|September 21, 2024
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
Shahina K K
The 69% Exception

THE Supreme Court of India, in its historic judgement on August 1, 2024, permitting sub-classification Ton within the Scheduled Caste category, referred to an article authored by Ravichandran Bathran that was published in the Economic and Political Weekly in November 2016. In Paragraph 141, the court states, "In Tamil Nadu, when an Arunthathiyar man and a Paraiyar woman-both the castes find a place in the Scheduled Castes (SC) list-eloped, the woman's family allegedly raped the women of the man's family in retaliation." The seven-judge bench relied on Bathran's article to justify the need for the sub-classification within the SC categories so as to argue that discrimination among and within the Dalit communities does exist in India.

Bathran, the man who has become a footnote' in the historic Supreme Court judgement, himself comes from the most downtrodden Chakliar/Arunthathiyar community in Tamil Nadu. Historically, the Chakliar/Arunthathiyar community was engaged in manual scavenging, a caste-based labour imposed on them. Bathran, a post-doctoral fellow, worked at the University of Southampton, South Africa. Despite being a scholar, Bathran runs a company for cleaning toilets. 'Going back' to manual scavenging was never a choice, says Bathran.

"I wanted to do research, but they shut the door on my face. I applied to around 10 universities to do research on manual scavenging. But none of the universities responded," he says.

He converted to Islam in 2022 and changed his name to Raees Mohammed. "As Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, I embraced Islam," says Mohammad. He runs the Kotagiri Septic Tank Cleaning Services Private Ltd, a company offering scavenging services in Nilagiri district.

Mohammed argues that the hierarchical layers of discrimination within the SC categories often go unnoticed because even some Dalit activists do not want to highlight them.

Pioneering Bahujan Politics

This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of Outlook.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of Outlook.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OUTLOOKView All
Trump's White House 'Waapsi'
Outlook

Trump's White House 'Waapsi'

Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election may very well mean an end to democracy in the near future

time-read
6 mins  |
November 21, 2024
IMT Ghaziabad hosted its Annual Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2024
Outlook

IMT Ghaziabad hosted its Annual Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2024

Shri Suresh Narayanan, Chairman Managing Director of Nestlé India Limited, congratulated and motivated graduates at IMT Ghaziabad's Convocation 2024

time-read
2 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Identity and 'Infiltrators'
Outlook

Identity and 'Infiltrators'

The Jharkhand Assembly election has emerged as a high-stakes political contest, with the battle for power intensifying between key players in the state.

time-read
1 min  |
November 21, 2024
Beyond Deadlines
Outlook

Beyond Deadlines

Bibek Debroy could engage with even those who were not aligned with his politics or economics

time-read
2 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Portraying Absence
Outlook

Portraying Absence

Exhibits at a group art show in Kolkata examine existence in the absence

time-read
4 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Of Rivers, Jungles and Mountains
Outlook

Of Rivers, Jungles and Mountains

In Adivasi poetry, everything breathes, everything is alive and nothing is inferior to humans

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Hemant Versus Himanta
Outlook

Hemant Versus Himanta

Himanta Biswa Sarma brings his hate bandwagon to Jharkhand to rattle Hemant Soren’s tribal identity politics

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024
A Smouldering Wasteland
Outlook

A Smouldering Wasteland

As Jharkhand goes to the polls, people living in and around Jharia coalfield have just one request for the administration—a life free from smoke, fear and danger for their children

time-read
1 min  |
November 21, 2024
Search for a Narrative
Outlook

Search for a Narrative

By demanding a separate Sarna Code for the tribals, Hemant Soren has offered the larger issue of tribal identity before the voters

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024
The Historic Bonhomie
Outlook

The Historic Bonhomie

While the BJP Is trying to invoke the trope of Bangladeshi infiltrators”, the ground reality paints a different picture pertaining to the historical significance of Muslim-Adivasi camaraderie

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024