Wednesday, February 22, 2012

[ZESTCaste] Caste Hindu fights for dalit friend

 

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=bsp&ver=ohhl4rw8mbn4

Caste Hindu fights for dalit friend
TNN | Feb 23, 2012, 04.26AM IST

MADURAI: Unlike cases of dalits being attacked by non-dalits, a caste
Hindu has risen up to protect his dalit friend who was attacked by his
relatives for their 10-year friendship. Karthigaisamy (23), a youth
from a dominant backward caste in Periakottai village near Manamadurai
in Sivagangai district, is a close friend of Karmegakannan (21), a
dalit youth from Sunnambu Kalavasal, Sivaganga. They had developed a
thick friendship, though they belonged to different communities.

However, their friendship irked relatives of Karthigaisamy, who
decided to do away with Karmegakannan. Thavam alias Muthuramalingam, a
relative of Karthigaisamy, abducted Karmegakannan on February 16.
Along with his accomplice, Balamurugan (19), Thavam lured
Karmegakannan in the guise of taking him to his friend who was waiting
for him in a place. The duo took him to a secluded place near Kovanur
village and attempted to hack him to death. Karmegakannan sustained
serious cut injuries in his throat, head and thighs due to the attack
and was admitted in GRH on February 17. A case has been filed at the
Sivaganga taluk police station against Thavam and Balamurugan under
sections 307, 342 of IPC and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,
1989. Thavam and Balamurugan were arrested and remanded in custody.

The important part in the case is Karthigaisamy coming out in support
of his friend in spite of earning the ire of his relatives and
villagers of the dominant caste.

He had given a statement to police accusing Thavam and Balamurugan of
attacking Karmegakannan, clearly stating all the facts.

In his statement, he had narrated how Thavam was threatening
Karmegakannan to break his friendship with him. He had warned us not
to go ahead with the friendship, warning of dire consequences if we
continued our friendship, Karthigaisamy stated. On February 16,
Karmegakannan called him from a mobile phone stating that he was
attacked by Thavam and Balamurugan who left him to die after causing
him serious injuries. He had reached a poultry farm in Kovanur village
and alerted his friend about the incident. Karthigaisamy rushed to the
spot and found his friend in a pool of blood, and rushed him to
hospital, he told the police.

A Kathir, executive director of Madurai-based NGO Evidence who had
sent a fact finding committee in this incident, stated that
Karthigaisamy, in spite of hailing from a dominant caste, was leading
the legal battle to seek justice for Karmegakannan.

By doing so, he had earned the enmity of his relatives and villagers,
and hence the government should protect him as well as the victim,
Karmegakannan and his family. The persons who attacked Karmegakannan
should be booked under Goondas Act. Government should provide solatium
of Rs 3 lakh to Karmegakannan who has sustained serious injuries, he
said.

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