'TN caste wall down, but Dalits still untouchables'
Express news service Posted online: Thu Jul 15 2010, 01:13 hrs
Chennai : When its existence was exposed to the world bringing infamy
to Tamil Nadu, the government took only a day to raze the 20-year-old
'untouchability wall' that separated Dalits from others at Uthapuram
village in Madurai.
However, two years hence, the situation on ground has not improved,
says the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, a rights group.
On Monday, the front members organised a protest in Madurai to urge
the district administration to give Dalits the right to worship at a
temple in the village, allow them to use a common pathway and permit
construction of a bus shelter under the MP Local Area Development Fund
— all of which were promised to them when the wall was brought down.
The members alleged that the police tried to disperse them, which led
to further protests, including one in Chennai on Tuesday.
The 'caste wall' was built after a clash broke out between the Dalits
and Pillaimars, a dominant BC community, in 1989. After the clash that
reportedly claimed five lives from each side, elders of the 18
neighbouring villages decided to erect a wall to stop interaction
between the two communities. The wall largely restricted Dalits from
access to public roads.
"When we brought the case to light, there was much furore among the
civil society, media. The state government was forced to act. Though
it has been two years since that happened, nothing has changed," said
P Sampath, front convenor and CPM state secretariat member.
A Marx, a noted human rights activist who led a fact-finding mission
to Uthapuram recently, said, "The ground situation at Uthapuram has
not improved at all. The reopening of the road was a mere token
gesture. The police thrash the Dalits whenever there is an altercation
between communities. Only a month ago, 14 of them were arrested. After
they were released on bail, they were rearrested ."
District Collector C Kamaraj denied the allegations, while
superintendent of police M Manohar said the CPM was politicising the
issue.
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