In Tamilnadu’s towns in the southern districts, such as Paramakudi, Pasumpon and Usilampatti it is not considered inappropriate to ask a person his or her caste as it is an integral part of their identity and in such a society where people make sense of the world around them through their caste conscious lens, caste identity also informs their politics.
Apart from ensuring adequate representation of Thevars in the party, Ms. Jayalalitha has also taken part in Thevar Jayanthi celebrations in Pasumpon and has donated an armor made of gold to the Thevar temple in 2014 and Thevar Jayanthi is celebrated every year on October 30, is now celebrated officially observed by the government.
The AIFB general secretary P.V. Kathiravan has stated that at the first meeting with their cadre in Usilampatti, their stronghold, the leaders has openly urged their supporters to vote against the ruling party and they will contest in close to 45-60 constituencies where the Thevar population is more and the votes they have gained are the votes that AIADMK will lose.
Kathir who runs an organization that catalogues cases of caste and gender discrimination has told that the mess in southern Tamil Nadu is due to the Dravidian parties. The backward classes by holding power within the Dravidian parties has managed to accrue social, political and private capital and the community has grown phenomenally in the last few decades.
