My father protested and the panchayat called him and cast him out of the village. Every year one person would be chosen to perform the task of playing parai, which he should oblige. In festivals or funerals, parai is an important part of the rituals. My father worked in EID Parry as a labourer. My grandfather played parai (the musical instrument after which the Dalits in Tamil Nadu were named as Pariah) in events of the village. I have five siblings – three sisters and two brothers. My generation was the first to earn a degree. Both my parents didn’t cross the primary level of education. I grew up in one of the ten Dalit families of the area. I am from a village called Lalapet in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. Tell me a little about your childhood and growing up as a daughter in a Dalit family. Having recently returned from a fellowship in Germany, Sukirtharani did a candid interview in which she opened up about her childhood, her Dalit identity in poetry and the Dalit woman who are learning to fight back. She is currently working on a book on Dalit life. In 2009, she organised a poets’ protest against the violence against Tamils in Sri Lanka, which saw participation by many poets. The much appreciated short film Kannadi Meen, was based on her poem Appavin Nyabagamaradhi. She was featured in the well-received documentary film SheWrite, which featured three other Tamil poets. Many of her poems are taught in colleges across Tamil Nadu and have been translated into English, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and German. Her awards include Thevamagal Kavithoovi Award, the Puthumaipitthan Memorial Award and the Women’s Achiever Award by the Pengal Munnani (Women’s Front). Sukirtharani has six collections of poetry to her credit: Kaipattri Yen Kanavu Kel, Iravu Mirugam, Kaamatthipoo, Theendapadaatha Muttham, Avalai Mozhipeyarthal and Ippadikku Yeval. For her, the recognition of Dalit literature and writers in recent times has brought her out of her shell, and provided a sense of comfort in herself and her work. Having long shed her garb of quiet subservience and now articulating what male poets call “too bold”, Sukirtharani is no longer closeted about her freedom. “I know English, but this is the language that runs in my blood, and I am also learning to assert myself in front of people,” she says with a soft smile. “Can we do this in Tamil please?” Sukirtharani requests at the beginning of the interview. Ambedkar as they block the traffic during a protest in Ahmedabad against the assault on Dalit members by cow protectors in Rajkot district, Gujarat. Women members of the Dalit community carry a portrait of B.R.
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