http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/katta-panchayat-forces-dalits-out/192590.html
Katta panchayat forces Dalits out
Gokul VannanExpress News Service
First Published : 25 Jul 2010 02:44:56 AM IST
Last Updated : 25 Jul 2010 08:56:16 AM IST
CHENNAI: A 'katta panchayat' in Namakkal has forced three Dalit
families out of their village for 10 months, despite police
intervention.
The unofficial elders' council is made up of three men from the
dominant Naicker community of Chikkinaickanpalayam village. In
September 2009, it ordered Nallamaal and her neighbours Palani and
Manimekalai, all Dalits, to produce Nallamaal's relative Rajendran.
Rajendran had run away from home after a dispute with his wife and
Nallamal was alleged to be sheltering him.
The trio was ordered to produce Rajendran within a week or pay a fine
of Rs 10,000 each. Rajendran's sister Kala had filed the complaint
with the panchayat. The trio approached the Molhasi police station,
and the police managed to work out a compromise between Kala and
Nallamaal. However, when the latter returned to the village, she along
with Palani and Manimekalai were attacked by men from the Naicker
community and forced to flee the village with their families.
In February, Nallamaal sought police protection to return to the
village. The police took a written assurance from the village elders
against harassing the families. But in days, the families were
attacked and finally chased out of the village on March 25. S Kathir,
executive director of Evidence, a Maduraibased NGO said that Nallamaal
then filed a complaint with the Tiruchengode revenue divisional
officer, who forwarded it to the Deputy Superintendent of Police on
May 21.
Nallammal, her husband Selvaraj and their two children, now live in
Kollapatti, 30 km from Chikkinaickanpalayam. Palani works as watchman
in a private company in Erode district. Manimekalai and her family
moved to a village in Erode where the couple works as loaders.
Namakkal Superintendent of Police, A Pari said he was examining the
case and would take action.
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