Remembrance and Public Discussion at the 50th Anniversary of the Kilvenmani Massacre

Ambedkar King Study Circle (AKSC) and San Jose Peace and Justice Center (SJPJC) held a remembrance and public discussion at the 50th anniversary of the Kilvenmani massacre.

The program included a public screening of the documentary The Hut of Ramiah and an open forum discussion.

On 25 December 1968, 44 landless Dalit agricultural labourers, including children and women, were burned to death by the landlords at Kilvenmani village, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu, India. Kilvenmani is not an isolated incident and a memory of the past. Mass violence exercised on the Dalits is a walk of life.

To list a few of them: Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh (2017); Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu (2012); Paralipudur, Tamil Nadu (2011); Khairlanji, Maharashtra (2006); Kambalapalli, Karnataka (2000); Melavalavu, Tamil Nadu (1997); Laxmanpur-Bathe, Bihar (1997); Bathani Tola, Bihar (1996); Karamchedu, Andhra Pradesh (1985). The mass violence and ideology of violence against the Dalits can be stopped only by mobilizing the progressive, democratic and secular forces irrespective of the caste identity to challenge such violences in non-violence means.

Ramiahvin Kudisai (The Hut of Ramiah) is a documentary directed by Bharathi Krishnakumar, released in 2006, based on the gruesome Kilvenmani incident. It documents the series of events which led to the massacre of 44 people and the aftermath of the incident. Following the screening, an open forum discussed how similar atrocities happen against oppressed people even today and what we can do to prevent them.

The forty-four

The flyer names each person killed at Kilvenmani, with their age.

Dhamodaran (1), Gunasekaran (1), Selvi (3), Vasuki (3), Rani (4), Natarajan (5), Thangaiyan (5), Vasuki (5), Jeyam (6), Natarajan (6), Rajendran (7), Aasai Thambi (10), Jayam (10), Jothi (10), Natarajan (10), Vedhavalli (10), Karunanidhi (12), Chandra (12), Saroja (12), Shanmugam (13), Gurusamy (15), Poomayil (16), Raanjiyammal (16), Aandal (20), Kanagammal (25), Maadhambal (25), Veerammal (25), Sethu (26), Chinnapillai (28), Aaachiammal (30), Kunjambal (35), Kuppammal (35), Bhaggiiyam (35), Paappa (35), Rathinam (35), Karuppaayi (35), Murugan (40), Srinivasan (40), Anjalai (45), Sundaram (45), Pattu (46), Karuppaayi (50), Kaveri (50), Subban (70).

The historical Programs index labels this event 2018-12-15. The original flyer gives Sunday, December 16, 2018, which is the date retained here. The 3rd General Body report records the same date and place.