Harmony Lessons from Dharavi for Tamil caste fanatics


Dharavi the largest slum in Asia houses one million peoples. That are 10 lakhs people residing over there. Majority of residents residing in Dharavi are Tamilians. They have been living here since more than 100 years. There is a Lord Vinayagar Temple (Lord Ganpati Temple) that is 110 years old. From this it can be interfered that they are living here for more than 110 years. Each and every Tamil caste people resides in Dharavi. I personally have not come across Iyer and Iyenger over here. We can exclude these two castes from the Tamil Community living in Dharavi.

In Tamil Nadu there is continuous caste violence going on. People get killed in the name of castes. Inter-caste married couples are hackled to death, burial grounds are denied to particular caste. The list goes on and goes on.

However, when you come to Dharavi, here all Tamil castes co-exist peacefully. The average size of the house in which they reside in is less than 200 square feet. Most of the Tamilians over here are engaged in jobs such as drivers, tailors, peons, courier services, driving taxis, laundry works, watchmen in buildings, working as waiter in hotels and other such types of jobs. However, there are also few Tamilians who are engaged in Blue collar jobs. Some are also in government jobs. Some have opened shops. Some are unemployed. Some are on break given by the company. Since all are from the same background and knows each other, there is bounding between them.

There are two big government hospitals in Dharavi, one being the Lokmanya Tilak Hospital popularly known as “Sion Hospital”. Majority of the second generation Tamilians were born in these two hospitals. They studied in the nearby schools together without wearing any caste bands. The schools in Dharavi never discriminated any students on the basis of caste. Their identity outside Tamill nadu is as Tamilians, not Paraiyars, Nadars, Gonders, Vanniyars, and other castes. There are reputed colleges nearby Dharavi. There are many small grounds in Dharavi, where marriages are conducted. Inter-caste marriages or love marriages between different Tamil castes do take place and it does not end in loss of life. 

Here, all the Tamil Hindu caste people are cremated not buried. There are two public crematoriums in Dharavi to take the death bodies for the funeral pyre. Every Tamilians irrespective of caste gets an honorable and decent last rite ritual over here.

The caste system is not that visible in Dharavi just because here they consider themselves as Tamilians first not as Paraiyars, Nadars, Gonders, Vanniyars, and of other castes.

@gomadityavalluvan

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