Women belonging to the Dravidar Kazhagam would usher in the Tamil New Year on April 14 by removing and destroying their mangalsutras (thali in Tamil) as they consider it a symbol of slavery and servility. Though EV Ramaswamy Naicker, founder of the DK, had introduced self-respect marriages without thali in 1928 to do away with caste system and superstitions, such marriages lost their sheen over the years with the weakening of the Dravida movement.
“We want to rekindle the spirit of rationalism and radicalism by destroying the thalis once and for all. The tying of thali by the bridegroom around the bride’s neck marks the burial of woman’s freedom and she becomes a slave to her husband till her last breath. We are declaring our liberation by removing the thalis,” Thilakavathy Senniappan, State convener, DK’s women wing, told The Pioneer.
She said more than 300 women would assemble at Periyar Thidal, the DK headquarters on Tuesday morning to remove the thalis. “There are hundreds of women who have understood the folly behind wearing the thalis and they are going to remove and destroy the same,” said Senniappan.
Marriage is a contract between man and woman with both holding equal stakes, according to Senniappan. “Thali represents woman’s bondage to the husband and his family. We will break this system as part of emancipation of women,” she said.
Prince, deputy to Veeramani, the DK chief, said thali was introduced and imposed in India by the Aryans. “Thali is an extension of the class, caste and gender discrimination,” said Prince.
Prof N Manimekalai, head of the department of women’s studies, Bharatidasan University, Tiruchrappalli, pointed out a basic flaw in the claim that women are equal in India. “Does the husband wear anything as a symbol to proclaim his status as a married personIJ Parents of the girl are a subjugated lot while parents of the boy walk around as if they were the owners of the daughter-in-law,” said Manimekalai. She said since chain snatching has become so widespread, it is better not to wear thali from the security point of view.
Veeramani, the DK chief is the unofficial spokesman of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Whatever controversial things Karunanidhi wants to tell the world, he makes Veeramani to parrot the same to measure the public response. The DK chief has been campaigning all over Tamil Nadu for the last two months to mobilise support for the thali removal agitation.
Those attending the thali removal function will be offered delicacies made of cow’s meat. “This is to expose the hidden agenda of the BJP which has banned cow slaughter in the country denying nutritious food to the poor,” said Prince. For those who do not eat non-vegetarian food, the DK chief would serve steaming idli and vada with sambhar.