PANCHAMI LAND AND DALITS IN TAMIL NADU

Author Name: M. Kowsalya

Volume: 01 &  Issue:

Country: INDIA

DOI NO.: NA, DOI Link: http://doi-ds.org/doilink/08.2020-25662434/

Affiliation:

1. Department of Sociology, Queen Mary’s College, Chennai, India
   E-mail:kowsii212@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

In Indian context Dalits are considered untouchables.According to 2011 census, 16 % of the population belong to Dalit community. Historically, these people have oppressed on the basis of caste and rights have been refused. Especially, land rights have been denied to Dalits for centuries. Land is a symbol of social status. It also gives power to the society, but only upper caste people owned both agriculture and non- agriculture land. Dalit people were agriculture labours in upper caste people’s land and exploited by them. Particularly, in 1891, British government conducted a study on socio-economic condition of Dalits in Tamil Nadu. As a result, British government passed Depressed Classes Land Act in 1892. In Tamil Nadu, 12 lakh acres of land were assigned to Dalits. This land was called as Panchami land. Except Dalits other people could not buy and sell this land. But, till now the struggle for this Panchami land is continuing. Because, Most of the Panchami lands are occupied by non- Dalits. The main objective of this paper is to study the history of Panchami land and the struggle for the ownership of this land. This study was conducted based on secondary sources of data. Findings of this study shows that still, Dalit people are not aware about their rights on this land.

Key words: Dalits, Rights, Socio-economic condition, Panchami Land, Struggle.