The 18 edition of the Dalit Cultural Festival 2012 held here at the United Christian School Grounds on Saturday was just a shadow of its past editions as the festival which was widely seen as an effort to culturally devalorize the codes of dominant cultural discourses became more of a ritual.
Dalit activists and thinkers who were present at the venue and who had been part of the festival since its inception feel that the political vigour that was associated with the festival is waning during the recent years.
Dalit arts and performances along with Dalit literature in the early 1990s were found to be an important ingredient in the ‘Dalit Renaissance' that formed the Post-Ambedkar Centenary where Dalit parties started to flourish questioning the Dravidian parties ‘inclusive politics myth' and questioned their own marginality vis-à-vis on the political sphere.
The usual zest attached to the festival where various art forms and musical expressions would interlace a pattern where a touch of antiquity, anger and assertion used to flow and throw into confusion the existing hierarchical modes of cultural representations were palpably missing.
Still the festival saw hard-hitting drum beats and powerful echoes of brass horns intertwined with tireless beating of Parai enthral the audience who were also found to be less in numbers than the previous editions.
A Dalit scholar, who is doing his PhD in Philosophy in Madurai Kamaraj University said that, the working class art forms along with Marxist literature had been a critical source towards the emancipation of the working classes; likewise Dalit art forms were critical in bringing social changes and this festival which had been an influential one in the Dalit discourse is losing track.
The Dalit Kalai Vizha, which was seen as an effort to explore trends of conscientisation, politicization and re-interpretation of a culture aiming for a role reversal from a theoretical perspective is losing momentum. The festival which was usually held throughout the night till the next day at the grounds had to be shifted for the first time indoors after 11 p.m. following pressure from the police department.
The performative activities such as dance, martial arts skills display and theatrical productions and reading poetry formed the Dalit Kalai Vizha. A reverential reference to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and his ideas and the importance of Dalit unity was made through various forms including lyrical rendition, dance performance, poetry reading and drama.
The songs sung and short skits performed there did send a strong message where it basically depicted the outcome of the everyday life struggles, about the work and the status of the oppressed in the society. The folk performances included indigenous Dalit forms of Tamil art like Parai Aatam, Kombu Isai, Periya Melam, Jimbla Melam, Raja Rani Aattam, Jikkattam, Kaliyalattam, Karagattam, Kaavadiattam, Naiyandi Melam, Mayilattam, Oyilattam, Thappatiattam, Sakkai Kuchi aatam, Maatukombattam, Themmangu, Kummanguthu Aattam Magudiaatam and Suliyalaatam which were performed by troupes from all over the State.
Awards were given to journalist Jeyarani and Sherin who run a non governmental organization called Velicham for the marginalized children. The event was organised by Dalit Resource Centre, Madurai. A book titled Dalit Cartoons: A Journey towards Liberation was also released on the occasion.
