What was the context for this letter?
This is a petition and letter written to Reverend Jules Andrew Brault who was the Bishop of Jaffna from 1920 to the time of his death at 1923. It outlines a case of caste discrimination. Christian themed plays are set up in Tamil language and some members of the parish are shown signs that prevent their presence or attendance at the church. In particular, the words “ Pancharmarkku Idam Illai” are written on signage. Panchamar refer to the people seen as being below the 4-fold Varna system. Since they are below the four caste groups, they are called Panchamar or “People of the fifth”. Persons born into these caste groups have also variously been labeled “untouchables” (derogatory), Scheduled Castes (colonial classification terms adopted by moderns states) or Dalits (often a self-chosen word).
They have been historically subject to severe oppression and are known for their robust resistance against these. One method of resistance included conversion to Christianity to reject the Brahminical laws of their oppressors that deemed them so low. However, this instance demonstrates an interesting moment that reflects modern day realities - that unfortunately conversion doesn’t solve all problems and people’s prejudices are not easily erased.
We would like our readers to engage with poignancy and defiance demonstrated in this letter before we go on with providing further context.
The Humble Petition of the Celebrants of the (unintelligible) 3 Novenas of Our Lady of Refuge, Jaffna.
To His Lordship the Right Reverend Dr. Julius Brault O.M.R> Bishop of Jaffna.(a)
My Lord,
We the chief members of the first three Novenas of Our Lady of Refuge, Jaffna, beg your Lordship with due reverence a submission to grant his attention to the following facts:
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We read with much displeasure in that notice the improper statement “Panchamarkku Idam Illai” - the five considered low castes are excluded - (from that drama). We approached successfully the Reverend Fathers J.B.. Baron and J.B. Poulain: the former is the Parish Priest and President of said church and confraternity respectively and the latter your Lordship’s then Acting Vicar General and we notified to them the offending statement in time. The Revd. Fathers were both unable or unwilling to make their subjects withdraw the offending notice and though it was no more circulated, the drama did take place and our people were refused admission at the gates.
To hide their faces, () actors posted a new notice at the g() to the effect that the drama would be staged that day only for the parents and relations of the dramatics personae and that it would be open to all the next time.
We beg also to inform your Lordship that news reach our ears that they are trying to invent means to exclude us also from the second performance.
We also beg to point out to your Lorsdship that this unpleasant exclusion has not been a custom among other spiritual societies of Jaffna. If this attempt at discrimination is not at once firmly checked, we fear it will soon be imitated by others also and it will grow into a custom which will prove a steel wall to break. Further we beg to state that is our young men are excluded from attending such Catholic dramas they will be the more tempted to go and witness those immoral dramas staged by the Hindus who are more kind to us than Father Baron’s Boys in giving us a separate place (written in with pencil) in their galleries and in some cases they do away with the unpleasant rule altogether.
We do not ask your Lordship to blame those holy priests who may have had excellent reasons for declining to take our side in this affair, though the less educated brethren think them guilty of a deplorable dereliction of duty. We don not ask your Lordship to punish the persons who have excluded us from their play. Though in their unchristian pride they cannot bear our presence, we shall find enough magnanimity in our souls to forgive them ans to ask our Lord to open their eyes to the light of the Gospel and guide their untutored souls away from that heathenish separatism.
WE WISH HOWEVER THAT YOUR LORDSHIP SHOULD TAKE NOTICE OF OUR PROTEST AND SHOULD IF POSSIBLE MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT SUCH BLATANT VIOLATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT OF BROTHERLY CHARITY SHALL NOT BE COUNTENANCED ANY MORE BY THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES UPON WHOM WE LOOK AS THE PURE FOUNT OF BROAD-MINDEDNESS, TOLERATION AND UNION AMONGST CHRISTIANS AND WHO ARE OUR NATURAL PROTECTORS AGAINST INJUSTICE, PERSECUTION AND PETTI-FOGGERY.
WE PRAY YOUR LORDSHIP TO BELIEVE US HIS MOST DUTIFUL AND RESPECTFUL CHILDREN IN XO.
(signed)
Joseph Francis
La. Velu ( ? handwritten only partially intelligible)
THE CLELBRANTS OF THE FIRST THREE NOVENAS OF OUR LADY OF REFUGE.
THARAKKULAM,
23rd Dec. 1920.
What emerged?
It is not clear if their letter to the Bishop yielded answers or any action. Colonisers were infamous for not having a healthy understanding of the intricacies of caste in the region. Instead they often relegated it to “heathenism” or engaged with it in classic colonial ways, giving precedence and priority to one caste community over another to seed division among the locals. However, their contribution to the normalisation of the aesthetics of equality for the Dalit castes cannot be denied either.
It is important to consider that J.B Poulain and J.B. Baron who are mentioned in the letter, (as local parish leaders) and as those having taken no satisfactory action despite protests from the caste-oppressed, continues to be posted across several parts of the northern Sri Lanka over the decade and beyond.
It is likely that the church Parish refers to the parish that still exists in Jaffna - the Our Lady of Refuge Church. The Church has a history of sheltering civilians during the periods of war and conflict in Sri Lanka’s north and eastern region.
Overall, we celebrate the spirit of justice and resistance with which this letter was written by people of the most oppressed castes of the time. We pay tribute to courage and conviction.
Source Information:
These letters can be found in the online Endangered Archives collection here: https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP1222-1-18-67# and are hosted by the British Library. Physical copies of the letters are also present at the Bishop’s House Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
References:
The Catholic Directory of India. Vol. 73, The Catholic Supply Society, 1923.
The Catholic Directory of India. Vol. 74, The Catholic Supply Society, 1924.
*A series of letters and petitions addressed to Mgr. Brault (1920-1922). On 23.12.1920: a petition mentioning the "Panchamar" (the five Untouchable castes) being denied access to a Church drama at OLR]..., British Library, EAP1222/1/18/67, https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP1222-1-18-67
Large Views of the Petition:
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