Who was Ettappan? Rahul’s delimitation dig at DMK revives history

Chennai: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has drawn sharp criticism from the titular head of the Ettayapuram Samasthanam (a prominent historical feudal estate in Thoothukudi) after describing supporters of the proposed delimitation exercise as “21st-century Ettappans”, a term used in Tamil Nadu as a metaphor for traitor.

At an event in Mahabalipuram Saturday, Rahul Gandhi described the Centre’s proposed delimitation as a “BJP conspiracy” designed to disenfranchise the people of Tamil Nadu and strip the state of political power. He urged all Tamil parties and national parties to defeat the move in Parliament. He added, “Anyone who supports delimitation is betraying Tamil Nadu, betraying the future of Tamil Nadu, and allowing the RSS and BJP to attack the people of Tamil Nadu and its future. Such a person is a 21st-century Ettappan.”

Rahul’s dig was aimed at DMK given that the party’s stance against delimitation is believed to have softened after they initially opposed the Delimitation Bill as the party has not presented a stern stance yet amid talks of the revival.

On Sunday, Chandra Chaitanya, the 42nd titular ‘Raja’ of the Ettayapuram Samasthanam hit back, urging Gandhi not to drag the family’s name into political battles. “Firstly, I really sincerely hope that you, Rahul Gandhi, will take a moment to learn about the actual history of Ettayapuram Samasthanam,” he said. He highlighted the family’s pioneering roles in girls’ education from the late 1800s, the first midday meal scheme in Tamil Nadu, and early participation in the temple entry movement.

“Despite all this, if somebody is still telling you that we were traitors to anyone… in fact, nobody bearing the name of Ettappan has ever betrayed anyone and if somebody is still feeding these lines to you, they are only feeding you the script of a movie, which has nothing to do with actual history,” Chaitanya told ANI. He stressed that public statements involving historical references must be factually accurate, noting that such usage undoes efforts to correct a false portrayal. “Do not use us as collateral damage in your political war of words,” he said.

In colloquial Tamil usage, ‘Ettappan’ is used as a derogatory term for a betrayer or traitor. The stigma around the word stems from the 1959 Tamil film ‘Veerapandiya Kattabomman’, starring Sivaji Ganesan, which depicted the ruler of Ettayapuram as having betrayed the chieftain Veerapandiya Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi to the British East India Company in the late 18th century. Kattabomman was captured and hanged by the British in 1799, and popular narratives and the film attributed a key role in his downfall to Ettappa Raja.

However, historical accounts also state that there were longstanding border disputes and raids between Ettayapuram and Panchalankurichi, with Ettayapuram aligning with the British against Kattabomman at certain points. However, Kattabomman was ultimately captured with assistance from the ruler of Pudukkottai, Vijaya Raghunatha Tondaiman, and handed over to the British.

Descendants of the Ettayapuram family and some historians maintain that the “betrayal” narrative is inaccurate or exaggerated, originating more from hearsay and cinema than actual history, and that no one bearing the name Ettappan betrayed Kattabomman in the manner portrayed in the film. The family argues that the modern pejorative represents a profound historical injustice that has even entered textbooks.

Raja Chandra Chaitanya has been campaigning to remove this “slur”, including approaching former Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh for corrections in school textbooks and organising public demonstrations to educate people on the Samasthanam’s history of resistance and social reform rather than treachery. He has previously stated that the film’s depiction wounds the sentiments of Ettayapuram’s people and that the family will not accept a false burden indefinitely.

Political analyst Sunil Kumar explains that the word ‘Ettappan’ has been used in a derogatory manner for many years in Tamil Nadu because it is believed that he sided with the British.

Speaking about Rahul Gandhi, Kumar said, “He did not name DMK but his remarks seem to be directed at DMK. However, DMK has repeatedly said that they will not support delimitation if it is an infringement on the rights of Tamil Nadu people. DMK is not a part of INDIA alliance, so Rahul is making indirect moves to attack DMK and trigger their stance,” Sunil Kumar told ThePrint.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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