Depicting realities

‘Nandhan’ is a Tamil movie directed by emerging director Era Saravanan, portraying the struggle of a Dalit leader navigating power through the reservation of seats in the Panchayati Raj system, established by the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India. It is an unusual film, realistically depicting the vulnerability of a Dalit caught in the grip of the dominant class. Tamil Nadu is often hailed as "Periyar land," known for equality and the removal of untouchability. However, this is merely rhetoric. It is well-known that in India, programs and power meant for the poor and marginalised are often captured by the dominant class. Furthermore, while the Constitution grants power to Dalits for their emancipation and empowerment, the community often rejects these opportunities. How does this happen? It is through the design of the dominant class, as the film illustrates.

It is a truism that whenever seats are reserved for Dalits, a system is created by the dominant class. In this system, an obedient servant of a dominant family is nominated by the community to contest in the election, ensuring the victory of a candidate sponsored by the dominant class. Similarly, when seats are reserved for women, male members of either political or dominant caste families sponsor their female relatives, allowing men to capture power. The women then serve only as symbolic heads of the panchayats, acting as ornamental figures. This phenomenon of power capture by dominant caste members and male relatives in political families has defeated the entire purpose of seat reservations for Dalits and women.

This movie depicts the reality of power being seized by the dominant class within the Tamil Nadu Panchayati Raj system. In 2013, a civil society organisation conducted a study to investigate the conditions of Dalits and their representatives in rural local governance in Tamil Nadu. Based on the data collected by this organisation, I have analysed the findings and written a book.

There were 30,770 Dalit representatives in rural local bodies across all three tiers of rural local government. The number is huge. Among them, 3,299 Gram Panchayat presidents held positions of power. The study investigated to what extent the conditions of Dalits had improved through this transfer of power. Conducted in 13 districts, the study focused on areas with intense caste conflict, as documented by the police department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The survey revealed that 33 types of discriminatory practices were still being perpetrated against Dalits and Dalit representatives. These discriminatory practices were particularly severe in districts where the dominant backward classes were intensively organised through caste-based political outfits.

Of course, there have been movies produced on this issue by producers and directors from the Dalit community. These films are commercial in nature and supported by mainstream political parties and Dalit political parties. While they capture the struggle of Dalits to improve their lives, they fail to portray the struggle to capture and retain power in order to achieve transformational change in the lives of Dalits.

‘Nandhan’, however, depicts the capture of power by a dominant caste leader, despite the Gram Panchayat chairperson seat being reserved for Dalits. What is significant is that the film is directed by a non-Dalit, who portrays the real story with the intensity we see in the real world. The Dalit representative, as well as the entire community, suffers because of the power given to them. It is a common practice: when a Dalit is nominated and elected to a position with the active support of the dominant caste group, they are expected to show loyalty greater than that of a king. If their loyalty is doubted, or if the elected Dalit begins to exercise real power, the dominant community starts to harass not only the president but the entire Dalit community.

The film depicts this reality as it unfolds in society. What is unique about ‘Nandhan’ is that it shows Dalits becoming empowered through the help of honest officials, who unite the Dalit community and enable them to fight for their own empowerment and emancipation. This film was not produced by any major company, nor does it support any political party. The entire movie was crowdfunded by a non-Dalit. It unequivocally depicts that power transfer from the dominant community to the oppressed will not happen without the struggle of the oppressed. It also highlights that there are honest officials in the bureaucracy who support the oppressed when they take on power.

The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute. Views expressed are personal