Samathuvapuram

Samathuvapuram (English: Equality Village) officially Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapuram (Periyar Memorial Equality Village) is a social equality scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu to improve social harmony and to reduce caste discrimination. Under the scheme, villages of 100 houses each are being created to accommodate the various castes, with one community hall and burial ground to be shared by all. The scheme is named after the social reformer Periyar E. V. Ramasamy.[1]


Architectural Concept

The famous Architect / Professor UK BHOOBALAN , based in Chennai, after his 8 years studies in architecture, returned from Soviet Union-Russia, His Thesis was "The Temple of World Religions" and awarded with Gold medal-1994. He, Architect UK BHOOBALAN sent a proposal to then DMK government in 1996 to build new settlement for people from various religions and castes to have brotherhood-neighborhood environment housings, and Tamilnadu government accepted and appreciated and started building this unique brotherhood new settlement-villages across the state.Total 125 plus places in the சமத்துவபுரம் SAMATHUVAPURAM built at free of cost. more than 2 lac people having exclusive shelter under the Sun! and Moon!!. just because of 

an Architect's idea/concept created new space and created new society.

Architect UK BHOOBALAN's primary dream projects is "NEW CHENNAI", a planned mega green city in India, conceptualized from Russia since 1991, working on this to be built, wrote several articles, interviewed, paper submitted in 2003 in New York in GOIPO. Also he is one initiated through late Chief Minister J.Jayalaliathaa, and on 25th January,2003, in Jaya TV live interview telecasted about "Rainwater Harvesting", after couple of months Tamilnadu government as first state in India implemented as mandatory in all premises , and rest of the states in India implemented the same.

Background

In 1997, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided to change the name of a transport corporation in the Virudhunagar district to the Sundaralingam Transport Corporation, in honour of 18th-century general Veeran Sundaralingam.[2] The name change was the long-time demand of the Dalit Devendrakula Vellalars community, which considered Sundaralingam the icon of their community. However, backward caste Thevars opposed the decision since the transport corporation would bear a Dalit name.[2] Thevars torched the transport buses and attacked the drivers. In response, Dalits vandalised U. Muthuramalingam Thevar's statue. Incidents by both castes sparked violence in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.[3]

Scheme

The scheme aims to ease the situation and to integrate the Dalits segregated by the caste system to begin using the wells and temples of the dominant communities.[4] The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi introduced the housing scheme to create villages of 100 houses each. Each village is subdivided into 40 houses for Dalits, 25 houses for backward caste, 25 houses for most backward caste, and 10 for other communities.[5] To avoid caste discrimination, the Samathuvapuram would have one community hall for all communities, as well as a common burial ground.[4] The first samathuvapuram inaugurated by M. Karunanidhi on 17 August 1998 in the Melakottai village near Tirumangalam, Madurai.[5] By 2001, 145 samathuvapurams were opened across Tamil Nadu.[6]

Following the change in the state government in 2001, the scheme was abandoned. In 2006, the scheme was revived after M. Karunanidhi came to power. During his tenure, 95 samathuvapurams were opened state-wide.[6]

References

  1. ↑ S. Muthiah (2008). Madras, Chennai: A 400-year Record of the First City of Modern India. Palaniappa Brothers. p. 357. ISBN 978-81-8379-468-8.
  2. 1 2 "Name Of The Game". Outlook. 16 July 1997.
  3. ↑ "On The Violence Threshold". Outlook. 21 May 1997.
  4. 1 2 "Dmk As Social Engineer". Outlook. 10 November 1997.
  5. 1 2 "Samathuvapuram: miles to go to attain equality". The Hindu. 17 January 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Stalin inaugurates TN's 14th Samathuvapuram". The Hindu. 14 November 2009.

7.Architect UK BHOOBALAN's New City "NEW CHENNAI" https://www.thehindu.com/2000/06/05/stories/04054011.htm

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