Following the statement issued by Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) on Friday (January 1, 2021) which condemned the “targeting and harassment of ‘writer-activist’ Meena Kandasamy”, her ex-husband has come out with yet another press statement thanking the body for clarifying the caste status of the ‘writer-activist’.
Responding to the statement issued by NWMI, Gunasekharan said that he was forced to respond to it to highlight the misplaced views with respect to the case pending against him.
He thanked the body for clarifying the caste status of the writer-activist who claims to be a Dalit and of mixed-caste origin, with her maternal grandparents being ‘lower-caste Shudras’ and her father being from a nomadic tribe.
“Firstly, I would like to thank NWMI for clarifying the caste status of Ms. Meena Kandasamy. She has claimed to be a Dalit and has allowed herself to be portrayed as a Dalit at several instances. However, your press release itself has clarified that “she is the product of an inter-caste union between a man from the Andi Pandaram community, classified as MBC in Tamil Nadu, and a woman from an OBC community”., Gunasekharan said in his press release.
Here is the text of the full press statement as given out by Gunasekharan Dharmaraja alias Charles Antony:
Dear Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI),
Greetings!
This statement is in response to your press release titled “Stop Online Abuse of Writer activist Meena Kandasamy” published in your website on 1 January 2021. As a person deeply conscious about the plight of women in our society and with great respect to the movements that have led to the empowerment of women, I am forced to respond to this press release to highlight the misplaced views that have been published in your website, with respect to the case pending against me.
Firstly, I would like to thank NWMI for clarifying the caste status of Ms. Meena Kandasamy. She has claimed to be a Dalit and has allowed herself to be portrayed as a Dalit at several instances. However, your press release itself has clarified that “she is the product of an inter-caste union between a man from the Andi Pandaram community, classified as MBC in Tamil Nadu, and a woman from an OBC community”.
In accordance with G.O.Ms.No.477 dated 27.06.1975 issued by the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu, a child born of inter-caste marriage could be declared a Scheduled Caste only if
i) either of the parents belong to the Scheduled Caste; and
ii) by a declaration of the parents regarding the way of life in which the child is brought up.
Since neither of her parents belong to the Scheduled Castes, she can in no manner claim herself to be a Dalit nor can she allow herself to be misrepresented as a Dalit. With due respects to the anti-caste activists fighting against caste oppression, she, by portraying herself as a Dalit and allowing herself to be portrayed as a Dalit does not do justice either to feminism or anti-caste activism but does injustice to Dalits by having stolen their rightful place. I am at least happy that her true identity that has been cunningly hidden by her for quite a long time has finally seen the light. I certainly do not believe in evaluating or assessing a person on the basis of their caste. However, it is unacceptable if a non-Dalit masquerades as a Dalit and grabs attention through the same.
Secondly, with respect to the accusations against Ms. Meena Kandasamy concerning the case filed against me, I completely stand by the statement that was released in my name on 30 December 2020. She has never attended any of the Court proceedings in the last six years whenever she is required to give her witness for the trial to move forward, and has been constantly using various tactics to prolong the case both to extort money from me and also to punish me without any trial by delaying the case. There is no question of the details of the case being distorted. If the person who has instituted the case does not attend the court proceedings and cooperate with the trial, it signifies that either she does not have any respect for the Court or that she has instituted this case to harass me. My intention is not to character-assassinate her, as she has done to me through her book, articles and various social media platforms of her. My only intention is to make sure that she cooperates in the case and let justice prevail.
Finally, with due respects, your press release published has twisted the facts to suggest that since Ms. Kandasamy was a feminist, she could have not been in an abusive marriage. However, my accusation has been that, if she was a feminist, she wouldn’t have agreed to give dowry for her marriage. As supporters of women empowerment myself, my family, friends and I completely stand by my statement that I neither demanded nor accepted any dowry from her. I cannot accept that a person who accepted to have given dowry or who perjures by providing false information is a feminist. This would be a great betrayal to feminism. Thus Ms. Meena Kandasamy stands neither a feminist nor a progressive woman but a careerist and an opportunist .
I agree with the press release that ideas and arguments should be countered with ideas and arguments. Therefore, if possible, I also agree to having a conversation/debate with her concerning this case, mediated by the representatives of your network, before the public and media, provided that she withdraws the case. This is because, unlike her, I believe that the Courts are established to promote the welfare of the society and that it cannot be (mis)used to further someone’s own interest. If someone resorts to the law enforcement mechanism to seek justice, they must participate in the process and cannot file cases merely to threaten others or extort money as Ms. Meena Kandasamy has been doing. I also do not believe in resorting to blame-shaming as a tactic to misrepresent themselves as survivors of violence.
If this conversation/debate happens, just like her Dalit mask had fallen off, her feminist mask would also fall. Hope to hear from you soon.
In solidarity
Dr. Gunasekharan Dharmaraja @ Charles Antony
(This is a press release issued by Dr. Gunasekharan Dharmaraja alias Charles Antony)