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Murder in Mudukulathur: Caste and Electoral Politics in Tamil Nadu
In 1957, intense caste violence broke out in south-eastern Tamil Nadu between the regionally dominant caste of Thevars, and Devendrakula Vellalars (Pallars), a Dalit community. The violence was triggered by the legislative assembly by-election, following U. Muthuramalinga Thevar’s resignation. In the peace conference organized by the local administration, Muthuramalinga Thevar objected to the presence of Immanuel Sekaran as a Dalit representative.
The following day Immanuel was killed. In the police search following the murder five Thevars were shot, leading to a cycle of violence.
Etched in popular memory as the Mudukulathur Riots, the event is invoked both by Thevars and Pallars. While Thevars remember it for the state violence, Pallars not only recollect it for the upper-caste violence, but also as an instance of their brave resistance.
In the years following the riots both communities have used the memory of Mudukulathur for political mobilisation, and the event continues to have strong resonance in contemporary politics.
Murder in Mudukulathur is the first extended study of this watershed moment. Drawing on a vast amount of primary sources, the author narrates the sequence of events leading to the caste conflagration of 1957, and its political and social fallout. He also provides a historical road map to the caste-laced discourse of politics in contemporary Tamil Nadu.
The following day Immanuel was killed. In the police search following the murder five Thevars were shot, leading to a cycle of violence.
Etched in popular memory as the Mudukulathur Riots, the event is invoked both by Thevars and Pallars. While Thevars remember it for the state violence, Pallars not only recollect it for the upper-caste violence, but also as an instance of their brave resistance.
In the years following the riots both communities have used the memory of Mudukulathur for political mobilisation, and the event continues to have strong resonance in contemporary politics.
Murder in Mudukulathur is the first extended study of this watershed moment. Drawing on a vast amount of primary sources, the author narrates the sequence of events leading to the caste conflagration of 1957, and its political and social fallout. He also provides a historical road map to the caste-laced discourse of politics in contemporary Tamil Nadu.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2017
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முதுகுளத்தூர் கலவரம் என்றால் என்ன, அது எப்போது நடந்தது , யாருக்கும் யாருக்கும் இடையே நடந்தது , அதன் வரலாற்றுப் பின்னணி என்ன , அதன் பின்னால் இருந்த-இன்னும் இருக்கின்ற அரசியல் என்ன , அப்போதைய தலைவர்கள் யார் யார், உண்மையிலேயே இது சாதிக்கலவரம் மட்டுமா இல்லை அதன் பின்னல் சமூக பொருளாதார காரணிகளும் இருந்தனவா? போன்ற நுணுக்கமான கேள்விகளுக்கான விடையை திரு. மணிக்குமார் அவர்களின் இந்த ஆராய்ச்சி நூல் நமக்கு தருகின்றது.
சாதிப்பூசல் போன்ற இருசாராருக்கும் மிகவும் வலியை ஏற்படுத்தும் நிகழ்வுகளை ஆராயும் பொழுது ஒரு பக்கம் சாயாமல் புறநிலை தரவு சார்ந்த, நடுநிலையான பகுப்பாய்வும் , தரவுகளின் அடிப்படிகளினாலான வரலாற்று ரீதியான மதிப்பீடும் மிக முக்கியம் .அதை ஆசிரியர் சிறந்த முறையில் கையாண்டு , தன் களப்பணியினாலும் , விரிவான தரவு சேகரிப்பினாலும் அதை நேர்த்தியாக செய்திருக்கிறார் என்றே நினைக்கிறேன்.
பாரம்பரியமாக சாதிய அடக்குமுறைகளின் முக்கிய காரணம் வர்ணாசிரம தர்மம் என்கின்ற புரிதல் இருந்தாலும் அதன் உண்மையான முக்கிய காரணிகளாக இருப்பது நிலப்பிரபுத்துவ சுரண்டலும், பொருளாதார ஏற்றத்தாழ்வும் , கல்வியறிவின்மையுமே என்பதை தெளிவுபட இந்நூல் நமக்கு காட்டுகிறது . அதே போல எப்படி பாதிப்பு இரு புறமும் வலுவாக இருந்தது என்பது இந்நூலின் மூலம் நமக்கு தெரிகிறது . மேலும் இந்நிகழ்வு அரசியல் ஆதாயத்துக்காக உணர்வு மற்றும் இன தூண்டுதலாக சிலரால் திசை திருப்பப்பட்டது என்பதும் வேதனை.
இந்த பூசலில் சம்பந்த பட்ட முக்கிய சாதிகளின் வரலாற்றை நூலின் பின் பகுதியில் சேர்த்திருப்பதும், நடுநிலையான பகுப்பாய்வும் , தரவுகளின் அடிப்படிகளினாலான மதிப்பீடும் இந்நூலின் சிறப்பு.
I think this book touches the core of the issue and addresses the root cause and not the symptoms.
சாதிய வன்முறைகளின் உண்மையான காரணிகளை அறிய அனைவரும் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய ஒரு முக்கியமான நூல் .
முதுகுளத்தூர் கலவரம் என்றால் என்ன, அது எப்போது நடந்தது , யாருக்கும் யாருக்கும் இடையே நடந்தது , அதன் வரலாற்றுப் பின்னணி என்ன , அதன் பின்னால் இருந்த-இன்னும் இருக்கின்ற அரசியல் என்ன , அப்போதைய தலைவர்கள் யார் யார், உண்மையிலேயே இது சாதிக்கலவரம் மட்டுமா இல்லை அதன் பின்னல் சமூக பொருளாதார காரணிகளும் இருந்தனவா? போன்ற நுணுக்கமான கேள்விகளுக்கான விடையை திரு. மணிக்குமார் அவர்களின் இந்த ஆராய்ச்சி நூல் நமக்கு தருகின்றது.
சாதிப்பூசல் போன்ற இருசாராருக்கும் மிகவும் வலியை ஏற்படுத்தும் நிகழ்வுகளை ஆராயும் பொழுது ஒரு பக்கம் சாயாமல் புறநிலை தரவு சார்ந்த, நடுநிலையான பகுப்பாய்வும் , தரவுகளின் அடிப்படிகளினாலான வரலாற்று ரீதியான மதிப்பீடும் மிக முக்கியம் .அதை ஆசிரியர் சிறந்த முறையில் கையாண்டு , தன் களப்பணியினாலும் , விரிவான தரவு சேகரிப்பினாலும் அதை நேர்த்தியாக செய்திருக்கிறார் என்றே நினைக்கிறேன்.
பாரம்பரியமாக சாதிய அடக்குமுறைகளின் முக்கிய காரணம் வர்ணாசிரம தர்மம் என்கின்ற புரிதல் இருந்தாலும் அதன் உண்மையான முக்கிய காரணிகளாக இருப்பது நிலப்பிரபுத்துவ சுரண்டலும், பொருளாதார ஏற்றத்தாழ்வும் , கல்வியறிவின்மையுமே என்பதை தெளிவுபட இந்நூல் நமக்கு காட்டுகிறது . அதே போல எப்படி பாதிப்பு இரு புறமும் வலுவாக இருந்தது என்பது இந்நூலின் மூலம் நமக்கு தெரிகிறது . மேலும் இந்நிகழ்வு அரசியல் ஆதாயத்துக்காக உணர்வு மற்றும் இன தூண்டுதலாக சிலரால் திசை திருப்பப்பட்டது என்பதும் வேதனை.
இந்த பூசலில் சம்பந்த பட்ட முக்கிய சாதிகளின் வரலாற்றை நூலின் பின் பகுதியில் சேர்த்திருப்பதும், நடுநிலையான பகுப்பாய்வும் , தரவுகளின் அடிப்படிகளினாலான மதிப்பீடும் இந்நூலின் சிறப்பு.
I think this book touches the core of the issue and addresses the root cause and not the symptoms.
சாதிய வன்முறைகளின் உண்மையான காரணிகளை அறிய அனைவரும் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய ஒரு முக்கியமான நூல் .
February 9, 2021
This is a long review. You may gain new perspective. Read it completely. Book is clear, well-researched, easy to follow.
Why should you read this Book
If you are interested in Tamil Nadu, Caste, Social Justice, Politics.
Why did I read this book?
I took this book to expand my understanding of caste-conflict, history of caste in Tamil Nadu.
What is my own view on this?
I want to bring better insight in this. My own insight is the following.
Entire narrative of Tamil Society is to gain:
a) honor (Munju) ,
b) and not to lose, Face (kaevalam).
To lose face (kaevalam), is to lose your identity.
When someone loses face, they lose their life or standing in society.
Japanese soldiers in WW2, would kill themselves instead of being defeated --Why? Because, they lose face and they bring shame to their community. Therefore, killing themselves is more honorable.
I would cite anthropologist, Ruth Benedict in The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, for bringing this perspective. She wrote about Japanese culture.
This view is not present in any of the discussions in understanding culture.
Basic unit of Tamil Culture is family, mother-father’s face (munju) or family name. Next, you are part of a community (caste) or (religion).
There is fierce competition to gain face among relatives, caste or religious community through socio-economic ways in Tamil Nadu.
One might object that caste ought to be removed.
Yes — What would replace that vacuum of social hierarchy of relationship?
How would communities represent themselves politically?
Advantages of honor/shame:
a) Behaviors can be controlled by shame
b) Competition among people
c) Families are close-knit
d) Loyalty to clan
e) Not wanting shame motivates people
f) Strict hierarchy: Person knows their role in society
Drawbacks of honor/shame:
a)People are not honest
b)People would cover up their short-comings during conversation
c)It is actually not a lie when they cover up, it's just they don't want to lose face
d)But real relationship starts with vulnerability
e)Trust comes through by accepting vulnerability.
Truth is less important when it comes with face.
To hold face is more important.
How did you change your view on criminal tribes and caste?
This is related to the book.
Most people in Tamil Nadu, hold the view, “some people in a community are born criminals, some have innate nature to do so.”
Many years ago — I was on a road trip with an American friend.
I remember constantly telling him, i.e some castes are violent or bad, their character is bad, their character is to do evil.
He stopped the car, and told me, wait, “You are calling someone bad or violent or murderer before they even commit such act.” How can you say it?
I could not understand what I was thinking.
Apparently, I had labeled people. Before, even they are born, to malign their character. This is clearly
wrong.
People can change, characters can be changed innately by emulating desirable traits.
In Tamil Nadu, even older people, would say, “It’s like it, this community is as such.”
Within the narrative of religious tradition it says:
i) People are created in the image of their Creator
ii) His Creator has reason, dignity, love along with other attributes
iii) People are bestowed with these attributes
iv) Therefore, people are to be respected, loved with dignity
You might contest the above narrative. Good luck forming a secular origin of human dignity.
It took me so much time to realize, I was wrong. We can’t label an entire community.
Later, I spent more time to figure out, what was happening.
Most of the time, people grow up in a family, and then stay within their community. Now, people hear about other community through the lens of that community.
Would we look into our own family, community through the lens of others, and improve ourselves?
This might be because, the value of the community picks up specific aspects of other community, and labels them. It could be confirmation bias.
What’s the meat of the book?
In this book, author Mani Kumar talks about the riots of Mudukulathur, located close to Ramanathapuram in Southern Tamil Nadu.
It’s about two communities — Pallars and Thevars.
Mani Kumar gives an account on political history, social justice, caste-conflict among the two communities.
In Tamil Nadu political history, caste plays a crucial role. Each community aligns with a political party.
There’s gruesome killings on each side of caste.
When I was reading through account of it. Few questions came to my mind.
A question - one person gets killed for an issue from a caste. And then, the other community kills or retaliates back.
But it goes back and forth, where does it stop?
What is the point of doing it?
In the book or even applying to Tamil society, insight from anthropologists.
Apply honor-shame, we can answer, “to gain face.” (Munju) to get, “honor.” or “respect” among others within their community.
How can they change?
Author says Education can change people.
What other work would you recommend?
There has been no contemporary account of caste that matches up Edgar Thurston.
Thurston's work is outdated, because it is filled with racial denigration.
Sociologists have written about Caste.
If you want to know about Caste in Tamil Nadu.
I suggest reading, Edgar Thurston. His work is outdated, but some parts of it, might be relevant.
Apparently, in 2019, I discovered Edgar was the first to hold Librarian title— Connemara Public Library.
Feel free to write a rebuttal to my perspective.
Deus Vult,
Gottfried
Why should you read this Book
If you are interested in Tamil Nadu, Caste, Social Justice, Politics.
Why did I read this book?
I took this book to expand my understanding of caste-conflict, history of caste in Tamil Nadu.
What is my own view on this?
I want to bring better insight in this. My own insight is the following.
Entire narrative of Tamil Society is to gain:
a) honor (Munju) ,
b) and not to lose, Face (kaevalam).
To lose face (kaevalam), is to lose your identity.
When someone loses face, they lose their life or standing in society.
Japanese soldiers in WW2, would kill themselves instead of being defeated --Why? Because, they lose face and they bring shame to their community. Therefore, killing themselves is more honorable.
I would cite anthropologist, Ruth Benedict in The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, for bringing this perspective. She wrote about Japanese culture.
This view is not present in any of the discussions in understanding culture.
Basic unit of Tamil Culture is family, mother-father’s face (munju) or family name. Next, you are part of a community (caste) or (religion).
There is fierce competition to gain face among relatives, caste or religious community through socio-economic ways in Tamil Nadu.
One might object that caste ought to be removed.
Yes — What would replace that vacuum of social hierarchy of relationship?
How would communities represent themselves politically?
Advantages of honor/shame:
a) Behaviors can be controlled by shame
b) Competition among people
c) Families are close-knit
d) Loyalty to clan
e) Not wanting shame motivates people
f) Strict hierarchy: Person knows their role in society
Drawbacks of honor/shame:
a)People are not honest
b)People would cover up their short-comings during conversation
c)It is actually not a lie when they cover up, it's just they don't want to lose face
d)But real relationship starts with vulnerability
e)Trust comes through by accepting vulnerability.
Truth is less important when it comes with face.
To hold face is more important.
How did you change your view on criminal tribes and caste?
This is related to the book.
Most people in Tamil Nadu, hold the view, “some people in a community are born criminals, some have innate nature to do so.”
Many years ago — I was on a road trip with an American friend.
I remember constantly telling him, i.e some castes are violent or bad, their character is bad, their character is to do evil.
He stopped the car, and told me, wait, “You are calling someone bad or violent or murderer before they even commit such act.” How can you say it?
I could not understand what I was thinking.
Apparently, I had labeled people. Before, even they are born, to malign their character. This is clearly
wrong.
People can change, characters can be changed innately by emulating desirable traits.
In Tamil Nadu, even older people, would say, “It’s like it, this community is as such.”
Within the narrative of religious tradition it says:
i) People are created in the image of their Creator
ii) His Creator has reason, dignity, love along with other attributes
iii) People are bestowed with these attributes
iv) Therefore, people are to be respected, loved with dignity
You might contest the above narrative. Good luck forming a secular origin of human dignity.
It took me so much time to realize, I was wrong. We can’t label an entire community.
Later, I spent more time to figure out, what was happening.
Most of the time, people grow up in a family, and then stay within their community. Now, people hear about other community through the lens of that community.
Would we look into our own family, community through the lens of others, and improve ourselves?
This might be because, the value of the community picks up specific aspects of other community, and labels them. It could be confirmation bias.
What’s the meat of the book?
In this book, author Mani Kumar talks about the riots of Mudukulathur, located close to Ramanathapuram in Southern Tamil Nadu.
It’s about two communities — Pallars and Thevars.
Mani Kumar gives an account on political history, social justice, caste-conflict among the two communities.
In Tamil Nadu political history, caste plays a crucial role. Each community aligns with a political party.
There’s gruesome killings on each side of caste.
When I was reading through account of it. Few questions came to my mind.
A question - one person gets killed for an issue from a caste. And then, the other community kills or retaliates back.
But it goes back and forth, where does it stop?
What is the point of doing it?
In the book or even applying to Tamil society, insight from anthropologists.
Apply honor-shame, we can answer, “to gain face.” (Munju) to get, “honor.” or “respect” among others within their community.
How can they change?
Author says Education can change people.
What other work would you recommend?
There has been no contemporary account of caste that matches up Edgar Thurston.
Thurston's work is outdated, because it is filled with racial denigration.
Sociologists have written about Caste.
If you want to know about Caste in Tamil Nadu.
I suggest reading, Edgar Thurston. His work is outdated, but some parts of it, might be relevant.
Apparently, in 2019, I discovered Edgar was the first to hold Librarian title— Connemara Public Library.
Feel free to write a rebuttal to my perspective.
Deus Vult,
Gottfried
December 24, 2020
4.0/5
This book is not biased. And it gives a detailed (and gruesome) account of the Mudukulathur riots. The one thing I liked about this book is my attitude towards caste conflicts. I thought caste conflicts were terrifying and horrifying(Because I have seen movies where caste conflicts were shown in an emotional and gruesome way). But reading this book made me think that those who indulge in these are just kirukku koodhis.
This book hasn't written that way but it was what I felt. Let me give you one incident. The self-proclaimed High caste people didn't want the oppressed people to take the water from their well. So, the oppressed dug their own well. Guess what happened. Those self-proclaimed High caste kirukku koodhiyaans threw their defecated feces to the oppressed people's well. At reading this first, it angered me and then I just laughed. (Please Judge me) So, I have been thinking these kinds of people were prideful and terrifying and now it got totally changed. (Bunch of morons)
Mostly this book talks about the political scenario of 1950's Tamil Nadu. It did it cleverly without siding with anyone. I will be writing my notes and my view of the political scene this book talked about in my blog.
Thanks, Kakashi for suggesting this book. 🙏
Since I am not a non-fiction fanatic, it took me longer to complete this book. So, I didn't give the 1 star because of the statistical part of this book. It was a drag to me and since I have a short attention span I didn't enjoy this book on those parts. As I said before, I dunno how to rate a non-fiction book (and this is a political book too) so it's just my opinion.
This book is not biased. And it gives a detailed (and gruesome) account of the Mudukulathur riots. The one thing I liked about this book is my attitude towards caste conflicts. I thought caste conflicts were terrifying and horrifying(Because I have seen movies where caste conflicts were shown in an emotional and gruesome way). But reading this book made me think that those who indulge in these are just kirukku koodhis.
This book hasn't written that way but it was what I felt. Let me give you one incident. The self-proclaimed High caste people didn't want the oppressed people to take the water from their well. So, the oppressed dug their own well. Guess what happened. Those self-proclaimed High caste kirukku koodhiyaans threw their defecated feces to the oppressed people's well. At reading this first, it angered me and then I just laughed. (Please Judge me) So, I have been thinking these kinds of people were prideful and terrifying and now it got totally changed. (Bunch of morons)
Mostly this book talks about the political scenario of 1950's Tamil Nadu. It did it cleverly without siding with anyone. I will be writing my notes and my view of the political scene this book talked about in my blog.
Thanks, Kakashi for suggesting this book. 🙏
Since I am not a non-fiction fanatic, it took me longer to complete this book. So, I didn't give the 1 star because of the statistical part of this book. It was a drag to me and since I have a short attention span I didn't enjoy this book on those parts. As I said before, I dunno how to rate a non-fiction book (and this is a political book too) so it's just my opinion.
August 25, 2021
To read my review check this blog
https://justice1914.blogspot.com/2021...
https://justice1914.blogspot.com/2021...
June 29, 2021
Had only skim-read this book earlier. But glad I returned to it again! This is not an easy read and raises a lot of questions about how to contextualize the Mudukulathur caste violence--as communal, political or both? The author provides an exhaustive account of every group's perspective of the clashes--the police reports, narratives from Thevar and Pallar caste groups, the Opposition leaders. Muthuramalinga Thevar's speeches from this time read like dog-whistles. While communalism and casteism was deeply entrenched everywhere in Tamil Nadu, Manikumar suggests that (like Opposition leaders and CPI-M claimed at the time) violence in Mudukalathur also escalated because the Congress played a strong role in fanning these conflicts. He is a bit ambiguous on this, but he seems to say that they used police violence to consolidate their political hold over this region. It is interesting to note how police violence and excess was debated during this time; there were fascinating critiques of whether police were the appropriate tool to handle social conflicts.
Overall, Manikumar records the discrepancy between Congress' history of not advocating for land reforms that would transform Dalits' social position and their politically motivated support of Dalits during this conflict. As a book published by Leftword books, one of the key things he emphasized was the Communist Party's message that caste clashes should not happen; instead, Dalits should organize on class lines and direct their struggles against all feudal practices and demand land reforms. Perhaps this is based on the idea that caste is not only symbolic but also deeply material; this book doesn't explore that argument in depth.
Overall, Manikumar records the discrepancy between Congress' history of not advocating for land reforms that would transform Dalits' social position and their politically motivated support of Dalits during this conflict. As a book published by Leftword books, one of the key things he emphasized was the Communist Party's message that caste clashes should not happen; instead, Dalits should organize on class lines and direct their struggles against all feudal practices and demand land reforms. Perhaps this is based on the idea that caste is not only symbolic but also deeply material; this book doesn't explore that argument in depth.
February 20, 2018
Thesis work of Caste politics and its conflicts in Mudukulathur. To gain the power of politics, Thevar has largely used his communities. Even Kamarajar used his Nadar community to defeat the muthuramalingam since there is caste conflicts between Nadar and Thevar. Due to both upper caste politics, Pallar community was heavily damaged ,even many lost their lives. Perumal peter is the important person to be noted who encouraged his Pallar community to convert christian since there is caste oppersion. He started school for his people through the christian missionaries. Thevar as a leader to his community forget to encourage them to educate. This led Thevar community to develop better in future. The book is not easy to read as it looks like a thesis paper.
October 19, 2025
A very difficult read elaborating on the sequence of events leading to the caste violence that erupted in southern TN in 1957.
Caste violence in TN isn’t new or isolated. But it’s sickening to read about how lives were lost simply due to ego clashes. The atrocities committed by the so called higher caste people against the lower caste is gut wrenching.
It is interesting to note how the Pallars (a Dalit community) under the leadership of Immanuel Sekaran and Perumal Peter, started educating themselves but education was never a priority for the dominant Thevars. What was more important was to make sure the lower caste people never rose out their station.
The book doesn’t take sides and objectively reports violence caused by both castes against each other, not to mention police brutality and the eventual politicisation of the situation by political parties.
Caste violence in TN isn’t new or isolated. But it’s sickening to read about how lives were lost simply due to ego clashes. The atrocities committed by the so called higher caste people against the lower caste is gut wrenching.
It is interesting to note how the Pallars (a Dalit community) under the leadership of Immanuel Sekaran and Perumal Peter, started educating themselves but education was never a priority for the dominant Thevars. What was more important was to make sure the lower caste people never rose out their station.
The book doesn’t take sides and objectively reports violence caused by both castes against each other, not to mention police brutality and the eventual politicisation of the situation by political parties.
February 23, 2020
Probably one of the best books you would read on caste politics in Tamil Nadu in 60s. Well researched and written in a compelling way!
June 2, 2022
Must read for anyone like me who is clueless about Tamil Nadu caste politics and learn about one of the many caste violence incidents still haunting the state.
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