User:P.sivakami

P.Sivakami (born 01 December 1955) is an Indian Dalit-Feminist writer, former IAS officer and activist predominantly writing in Tamil. Her notable works include Pazhayana Kazhidalum, Kurruku Vettu, Nalum Thodarum and Kadaisi Mandhar. Apart from being one of the most prominent Dalit novelists in India, she has also constantly voiced her opinions on contemporary social and political issues. An author of six novels and more than 60 short stories. P. Sivakami has regularly kept in touch with editing and has actively contributed to the monthly magazine Puthiya Kodangi since 1995. She is a significant presence on social media through You Tube and WhatsApp account.

NAME:  Dr. P. Sivakami, Ph.D. (History-Economics inter-disciplenary)

(First Name: Sivakami   Surname: Palanimuthu)

DATE OF BIRTH:   01/12/1955          Age: 65 yrs

NATIONALITY: Indian

FAMILY STATUS: Married

PRESENT OCCUPATION: Indian Writer, novelist, Essayist, Poet, orator on social issues

BY PROFESSION: Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer (Retd.)

INTERESTS: Novel, Essay, Short-story, Poem writing, Public speaking, Providing leadership for Dalit ,Women and the downtrodden to claim their legitimate rights, with special focus on Land rights, to retrieve the usurped Panchami lands that once belonged to the Dalits, interested to share views on literature, issues of Justice, women’s rights and political and economic empowerment of Dalits through interviews and speaking engagements at numerous secular, human rights, feminist and political forums and academic gatherings in India and abroad.

Early life and education
P. Sivakami was in Perambalur and had her schooling in St.Dominic Girls' High School and details of higher education as follows; LANGUAGE SKILLS: INDICATE COMPETENCE ON SCALE OF A1 TO C2 (Levels: A1and A2 -  Basic user; B1 and B2 - independent user; C1 and C2 - Proficient user)

Career
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Appointed to Indian Administrative Service in 1980 and services rendered to Government of Tamil Nadu and Government of India until 2008.

Literary career
Initiatives and Responsibilities in Public Life

❖    Advisory Member (Tamil Language) of the Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letter) 1999 - 2001.

❖     Founder and President, South India Dalit Writers and Artists Association, 2002.

❖     Founder and President, Dalit Land Right Movement, 2004.

❖     Founder and President, Women’s Front, 2005.

❖     General Secretary, Bahujan Samaj Party, Tamil Nadu State, 2008 - 2009

❖     Founder and President, Political Party - “Samuga Samatuva Padai Katchi” (Party for Social Equality), 2010 based on the principles

of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

❖    President, Madras Fertilizers Limited (Public Sector Undertaking, Government of India) (2012 - 2015)

❖    President, Chennai Container Terminal Employees Union (Since 2014)

❖    President, Employees of Directorate of Technical Education, Chennai  (2014 - 2017)

❖    Member, Association of Retired IAS Officers (Since 2016).

❖    President, Taj Fishermencove,  Kovalam Employees Union (Since 2017)

❖    President, Tamil Nadu Government Transport Worker’s Union (Since 2017)

❖   Founder President of  Samuga Samathuva Padai Tamilnadu  Unorganised Drivers,Manual Workers and Construction Workers

Welfare Association (2018)

❖     Founder and President, Samuga Paniyil Arasu Uzhiyar Sangam (Tamil Nadu Government Employees Schedule Cast and

Schedule Tribes (SC/ST) association, 2018.

❖     Founder and President, Forum for Indian Women Intellect (FIWI), 2018.

❖    Former Honarary President of BHEL  SC/ST Employees Welfare Association

❖    Former Honarary President of Ordinance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) SC/ST Employees  Association

WORKS PUBLISHED:

Tamil Novels (6)

·       1989: “Pazhiyana Kazhidalum”, Chennai: Annam Publication (A literary and commercial success, the novel created a stir by taking on patriarchy in the Dalit movement. The novel is self translated and is published in English as The Grip of Change (2006). Part I of the novel presents the narrative and the Part II, Asiriyar Kurippu or Author's Note, examines the narrator's challenges with the genre of fiction.

·       1993: Anandhayi (The second novel Anandhayi is about the violence against women and was translated into English by Pritham K Chakravarthy as The Taming of Women in 2011)

·       1995: “Pazhayana Kazhidalum: Asiriyar Kurippu” ("Author's Notes for The Grip of Change", Chennai: Thamizh Puthakalayam

·       1997: “Kurukku Vettu”, (Read in English as “Cross-Section”)  Puducherry: Anangu Feminist Publication, 171 pages

·       2012: “Unmaikku Munnum Pinnum” (Read in English as “Truth-Before and After”), Chennai: Uyirmai Pathipagam

(Abstract: The protagonist, brings to light the corrupt practices of the bureaucracy caste and gender bias and the politicians)

·       2017: “Uyir”  (Read in English as “The Being”), Pudhucherri: Anangu Feminist Publication

(Abstract: This novel records and talks about the attitudes of people towards important social issues, domestic violence and corruption at all levels in the society including the positive changes among the youth)

Translated Works (4)

·       2014: “The Cross Section” (Trans. by C.P. Indra from Tamil: “Kurukku Vettu” 1997) Government of India Publication, The Sahitya Akademi of India -National Academy of Letters)

(Abstract:A  Full length novel with Saro, an educated, middle-class woman as the main character cross-examines the institutions of marriage, family and State and revisits the concepts of love, chastity and motherhood.)

·       2006: The Grip of Change (Self Trans. From Tamil: Pazhayana Kazhidalum 1988. ), New Delhi: Orient Longman Publication.

(Abstract: This very First novel, describes how the ancient institution of caste is deep rooted in the Tamil Society and defy all possible solutions. The agony and the struggle of Dalit women are portrayed extensively)

·       2012: The Taming of Women (Trans. by Pritham K Chakravarthy from Tamil:  “Anandayee” 1993), Penguin Publishers.

(Abstract: This is a very acclaimed novel in Tamil. It traces the life patterns of three generations of rural Tamil women who are in the lower rung of the society. The first generation of women has been portrayed to be submissive,   they critique the society whereas the second generation of women defies all the social constructs, but lacks personal and social goals. The third generation of women is portrayed as strong and level headed.)

·       2020: „Die Zeiten ändern sich“ translation of  ‚The Grip of Change‘ by Thomas Vogel, Heidelberg, Germany: Draupadi Publication, 152 pages

English Novels

·       2021: “The Language of the Mirror”, Chennai: Emerald Publishers

(Debut novel in English, a narrative on self introspection)

Tamil Short Story collections (4)

·       1986: „Ippadiku Ungal Yadharthamulla, “Chennai: Chennai Book House.

·       1989: „Nalum Thodarum“,Chennai: Tamil Puthakalayam

·       1995: Kadaisi Mandhar, Chennai: Tamil Puthakalayam.

·       2004: „Kadaigal“, Chennai: Mithra arts and Creations

Tamil Non-Fiction (7)

★       2004: Dalit Land Right Struggle, Chennai: Puthiya Kodangi

★       2004: Special component Plan and Apna Panchayat (Essays on  Implementing Special Component Plan and on Panchayat Raj and Dalits)

★       2005: Tribal People’s Land Rights, Thindivanam: Pazhangudi Irular Padhukappu Sangam

★       2007: Udalarasiyal (The Body Politics), Chennai: Panikkudam Pathippagam

(Abstract: This book written in Tamil  explores the subjugation of women (Women’s bodies) in the historical past and indulges in a fair examination of feminist theories)

★       2007: Pengalum Arasiyalum (Women and Politics)

(Abstract: Women and Politics was written during 2007-2008 as a serial in a popular magazine (Theeranathi) in Tamil. These essays expose the poor participation of women in the political processes and suggest ways for their political empowerment)

★       2019: Idadhu Kaal Nuzhaivu ( Women and Politics), Pudhucherri:  Anangu Feminist Publication

★       Effective Participation of Women in the Political Process and Governance (Under Publication)

ARTICLES IN ENGLISH:

2010:  " Effective Transfer Policy Options for the Dalits", Chennai:  Puthiya Kodangi

Tamil Dalit Literature: Some Riddles published by Association for Common Wealth Literature and Language Studies, Canada

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

2019: Survey: Do All Women React to C-Section Births the Same Way? https://thewire.in/health/survey-do-all-women-react-to-c-section-births-the-same-way

Tamil Poems

★       2011: „Kadhavadaippu“ (Barred Door), First Poetry Collection, Chennai: Uyirmmai Pathippagam

★       2012: Payanatra Kanneer ( Wasteful Tears ) Uyirmai Pathippagam

OTHER CREATIVITIES

(i) Produced and Directed an award winning Short Film named “Oodaha” (Through)

(ii) Several YouTube videos concerning social issues.

(iii) Continues to edit a monthly subaltern literary magazine in Tamil by name  “PudhiyaKodangi” from 1995.

OVERSEAS ENGAGEMENTS AND SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS:

●      Awarded Fulbright Nehru Fellowship in 2017-18 and worked in a teaching and research assignment in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.

●      Shared  views on literature and society with eager audience at such prestigious centers as the Columbia University, the South Asian Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania and the All Common Wealth Countries Literary Meet at Vancouver, Canada (as a plenary speaker) and National Literature Meet at Singapore and meetings organized by Tamil Associations and other literary and women’s organizations in  Malaysia, Nepal, France, Germany, The Netherlands  U.S.A. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Thailand.

●      Was invited as a plenary speaker at the “India Conference at Harvard” 2020 at Boston, USA.

●      Attended the conference by the South Asia Institute in Columbia University in honour of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on “ Caste and Contemporary India”, Oct 16-17,2009 and shared views on “Contemporary Politics and Caste”

●      Presently attending a literature course in “The John Milton reading Room” organised by Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA

POLITICAL INVOLVEMENTS:

★       Organized more than 200 Demonstrations, Protests and  Rallies addressing contemporary social and political issues specifically related to victims of caste and gender discrimination

★       Contested General Election 2009 from Kanyakumari Parliamentary  Constituency

★       Contested  State Assembly Election 2011 from Gangavalli Constituency

★       Contested State Assembly Election 2016 in alliance with DMK Party from Perambalur Constituency

RECOGNITIONS AND ACCOLADES

★     As Indian Dalit Feminist Writer and novelist predominantly writing in Tamil

★     As Social and Political Activist

★     As First Tamil Dalit Woman Writer for the novel Pazhiyana Kazhidalum in 1989

★     Rated by BBC as among the Top-5 Favourite Novels from India for the self translated First novel, “The Grip of Change”

★     The Novel “ Cross Section” was recognised as one of the 100 Best novels from India and translated by Sahitya Akademi

★    Recognised “Women art Night” Programme, a grand Cultural event as first of its kind in India for 100000 women at Madurai, 2007

★    Recognised by BNP Paribas Bank as One of the twelve women icons of India “Women Changing India”  during the celebration of the 150th Anniversary for their presence in India and her photo was placed in their Global Photo Exhibition

★    Was awarded Honorary Doctorate, Doctor of Divinity by The Academy of Ecumenical Indian Theology and Church Administration for the distinguished service in the church and society.

★     Recognised for First-ever Conference in india on “Women and Politics”  at Trichy in 2008 with 250000 women Participants