‘The Devil’s Court!’
Résumé
This chapter examines a bitter encounter that has been taking place over the last decade between the Indian judiciary and caste panchayats. This encounter has taken the form of a trial, both literal and figurative, in the course of which the apotheosized Indian village assembly has morphed into a dangerous kangaroo court. Though the trial of caste panchayats has taken on a national dimension, the focus here is on the unfolding of its Tamil scenario largely constructed on a constitutional void regarding non-state adjudication, damning catchphrases coined by the printed press and sociologically unsound amalgams. This chapter traces the recent making of a spurious concept, that of the katta panchayat, which showcases the shift of the relation between the state and the village society in matters of legal reasoning and procedure.