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Dalit Resource Center

The Dalit Resource Centre (DRC), an integrated programme of the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, has been functioning since 1989. The main objective of the Centre is to collect Documents regarding all Dalit issues including the activities of various Dalit Movements in Tamilnadu and in India. Other activities of this Resource Centre include Publications of Dalit Literature, Research on Dalit issues, facilitation of Dalit Theological Reflections, promotion of the Action-Reflection process, Training for Dalit leaders and cadres which include periodical seminars and promotion of Cultural Activities. The Centre has a library consisting of more than 4000 books on various topics related to Dalits.

Documentation has been compiled by collecting news on Dalits, which appear in regional and national newspapers, and magazines, which have been classified further into forty-six topics. This library is open to all including Research Scholars, Students, Dalit Movement cadres and the general public.

In order to promote ideological reflections, over the years, the Centre has been organising various consultations and Seminars, chief among them being the consultations on ‘Dalit Feminism’, on ‘Dalit Politics’ and on ‘Dalit Arts’.

In order to bring out the faded Dalit art forms such as Kalilattam, Thappattam, Oyilattam, Raja Rani Attam etc., the DRC took up the pioneering effort of conducting annual Dalit Cultural Festivals right from 1996 onwards with different themes every year.

One significant effort of the Centre is to release the list of atrocities against Dalits in Tamilnadu annually. This is done with a view to enable the local action groups and activists to follow-up the issues in their area. Another effort is the monthly release of a newsletter Thamukku in Tamil, that brings out news on the latest atrocities against Dalits and other related issues and a English Newsletter of the same name, meant for a wider national and international audience, which comes out once in two months.

The Centre is providing legal aid service exclusively for victims of atrocities and for those affected by Untouchability practices, through the Legal Education and Aid Programme. The DRC also is organizing the Thappu Artists in Madurai and the Dalit Panchayat Representatives of Madurai district by creating an official association to fight for their rights.