Anti-incumbency is so high in Tamil Nadu that people who were buttressing and simping for the DMK are now speaking up against it and its ‘Dravidian Model’ of social justice.
Recently, director Pa Ranjith who has been voicing out for Dalit rights spoke up in support of slain BSP leader Armstrong’s wife Porkodi for the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections.
A video clipping of Ranjith speaking to reporters in August 2025 started recirculating on social media recently. In the video, he seemed to say that caste related atrocities have risen under the DMK government.
Responding to a reporter who asked about the Vengaivayal incident where human excreta was mixed in the overhead water tank and no proper action has been taken so far, Ranjith said, “Incidents like Vengaivayal keep reminding us that, even if governments change, caste oppression and untouchability do not disappear in Tamil Nadu. The DMK government, which claims to care about social justice, should quickly submit a detailed report and take comprehensive action on this issue. I want to state that clearly through this. Because this is continuing as a pattern. If you ask whether caste untouchability problems have reduced after the DMK government came to power, from Keelur in Tiruvannamalai to the Vengaivayal issue, many such incidents have continued to happen. Problems like access to cremation pathways are also continuing. I believe the DMK government and the Tamil Nadu government have a responsibility to pay much more serious attention to these issues. They have accelerated certain institutions, like the commission that handles untouchability-related issues, and those bodies are doing some work. But if you ask whether that work has eradicated caste oppression and suppression in Tamil society, there is clearly a major setback. I think they must understand this setback properly and act more effectively.”
The reporter then pointed out to the two-tumbler system reportedly still prevalent in teashops in the state, Ranjith responded by saying, “That is exactly what I am saying – these problems are continuing. It cannot be denied. The government must understand this properly. The government must acknowledge that atrocities related to untouchability are taking place here and should present it in the form of a report. This practice still exists in Tamil Nadu. They must admit that this practice exists and that they are going to take steps to eliminate it.”
He also added that he would like to place this as a demand to the government.
திமுக ஆட்சியில்தான் அதிக சாதி மோதல்கள், கொலைகள் நடக்கிறது – பா.ரஞ்சித் pic.twitter.com/TFrx1UyFWH
— Prabhakaran Kamaraj (@wolfprabha) August 1, 2025
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