A Community thriving for a reservation proportionate to its strength in Government since 1891

In today’s scenario caste does not play a big role in social life of families. Many of us would have seen marriages of our kith and kin getting  married to other community boys or girls and in the elite society it is acceptable . But in the field of employment and other social benefits from Government it is different and a matter of concern.

 I wrote on tracing our ancestors in my last blog , based upon Sr.V.Sambasivam’s  “ The Veerasami Genealogy “ . But now a step beyond I look into the community of our ancestors  again by a small booklet  reproduced by the same gentleman with a sample of the noble service rendered by our ancestors 65 years ago ( now 72 years ).

It is about the Presidential Address delivered by Sri.A.Raju Nayaker,B.A.,  a  Retired District  Forest Officer  and Honorary Presidency Magistrate , at the GOLDEN JUBILEE  of The Vanniakula Kshatriya Mahasangam held on 5.5.1940.

I wish to bring out few excerpts from the long address , “ compelled to speak to you on the several topics indispensible for our uplift “ ( in his own words ) .

Communal Association Justified : “ A community’s interest is only to complimentary to the country’s cause .The Mahasangam is therefore not only to further its own interests but also to stimulate a feeling of brotherhood among all.”

Past Glory and Present Condition of the Community : “There is no use of merely singing of the ‘Pride of Birth’ or ‘The Pomp of power’ of the Pallavas ….. I put illiteracy first , because I have found , in my official career , in the several districts of this Presidency , that for want of education, Rajas , Zamindars , Jaghirdars , Mirasdhars and Mokhassadars of tamil and Telugu districts fell in the evil influences of others.. became dispossessed of their properties and wealth… “

Birth and Work of Mahasangam : “ …. philanthropic and ancient  Mariners such as Gopala nayaker , Theagaraya mayaker , Chokkalinga nayaker , Singaravelu Nayaker , Ettiyappa Nayaker , Arumuga nayaker , balabadra nayaker and others , realizing education to be the panacea of all evils , started the Mahasangam…opened schools and choultries , educating members of this and other communities.”

Other Charitable Institutions of the Community :  “ … there were other charitable institutions  … contributed to the amelioration of this and other communities. 1. P.T.Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker’s Charity and Technical Institute incorporated with Pachaiyappa’s Charities.”

Paucity of Representations in Government Service and Public Bodies, Causes and Remedies : “ Out of 1713 Indian Gazetted Officers, our community with a polulation of 30 lacs, has only the negligible number of 6, though it has more than 200 University graduates of various degrees. There is not a single Sub-Inspector of Police of Madras though this community numbers 70,000 forming 11% of the entire population…”

Rural Uplift : “ Prohibition - … This community and other backward classes are under a deep debt of gratitude to the Congress Government for the introduction of prohibition. “

Co-operative Credit Banks , Night Schools , Reading rooms , Libraries & Lectures :”…. Rural members with the city members , rural uplift has been organized in the shape of night schools , reading rooms , libraries …Periodical lectures … to supplement and quicken the knowledge.”

Backward Class Fee Concessions: “ The Government passed orders withholding half-free-fee-concessions for failure in any examination…. The Govermnent and School authorities must be requested not to withhold such fee-concessions as it will strand the poor boys in the midst of their course made at a great sacrifice to their families.”

Propaganda Work, Vernacular Journals and lectures :” For this purpose , journals in Tamil or Telugu … must be published …on very important topics for the information of both Tamil and Telugu members.. ‘

Social Reform - Friendship with Other Communities : “ It is detrimental to the interest of any community to feel either superiority-complex or inferiority complex. I have creed my religion,(Hinduism), the Bible, The  Quaran and some other religions. I am above caste and creed and I am a friend of all communities “

Marriages : “ But some of our educated men have not outlived some evils of marriages, inspite of their education, by claiming money , immovable property, or other emoluments in the matrimonial markets”

The World war : “ A great crisis is this hanging over the world. Should we not as Vanniyakula- Kshatriyas organize regiments of our own community and do our bit for the cause of democracy?….. We may fight with the British Government for freedom but we must always support it against a foreign foe. “

Backward Class league : “Out of 608 Non-Brahmin Gazetted Officers in the Presidency, the Backward communities get 13 posts working out a percentage of 1.6 , thus leaving 98 % … to the forward Non-Brahmin …. These had practically no other go than to organize the backward classes league composed of 103 classes and forming more than one-third of the population of the Province.”

Sri.A.Raju Nayaker closed his address …” With union, self-reliance, patience, perseverance, spirit of sacrifice , trust in God, peace and goodwill among the members of our community, we are sure to be rewarded with success in all our undertakings.  AMEN .”

From the above excerpts we could see how Sri.A.Raju Nayaker , fought for the uplift of the community members in the pre-independence  days.  All the topics  of his address seems to be  a matter of concern at that time and he never left anything to add.  Years passed and still the claim is going on , which you may find in the newspaper clippings  dated May 7^th, 2012, given below.

Vanniyar Sangam, the association from which the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) was born, has threatened to launch a series of protests demanding 20 per cent exclusive reservation for the community, which is now listed among the ‘Most Backward Communities'.

Making a strong case for compartmental reservation, taking into consideration the backwardness and population of each community, as was in vogue in neighbouring Kerala, Dr Ramadoss said all the communities in Tamil Nadu should be given reservation proportionate to their strength. “We need 20 per cent reservation in Tamil Nadu and two per cent reservation in the Central government jobs and educational opportunities,” he further said.

Our ancestors were not only great men or women , but also  great philanthropists , worked for  various causes of human being  and  for  communal harmony. Let us pay our homage to the past generation heros of Vanniyakula Kshatriya Community.

Again my thanks goes to Sri.V.Sambasivam for his effort in bringing out the small booklet which paved me to go in depth of the noble services of Sri.A.Raju Nayaker and to share with present generation.