Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder Thol. Thirumavalavan on Wednesday said those who are participating in struggles for liberation must read and understand ‘100 years of history’ as ‘a mere 10-year understanding of struggles is not enough’, at the two-day art exhibition organised by Guruvanam and Ambai to commemorate 200 years of ‘Thol Selai Porattam’ at CSI Kingdom Of God Church near Aranganathan subway in CIT Nagar in Chennai.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Thirumavalavan said women being prevented from covering their chests was just a form of oppression and that one must go beyond the form to understand what underpins it.
“What is the background and ideology based on which the oppression takes place? All over the world, there has always been a hegemonic [ideology]. Even in a democratic society, one requires the will to fight and protest,” he said.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said the fact that this oppressive practice was found in a particular place does not mean that such practices did not exist in other places. “Different places will have different forms,” he said and added, “Sanatan Dharma was the ideology that resulted in the oppressive practice of women being disallowed to cover their chests. We only seek democracy in the political space, but we also need social and economic democracy as well.”
