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Action sought against people who assaulted dalit man

Madurai: NGO Evidence has urged the Ramanathapuram district police to arrest the people who assaulted a dalit man and allegedly urinated on him over a quarrel in Ramanathapuram district.In a statement, executive director of Evidence A Kathir said that Jeeva, 33, a dalit man is a resident of Nettendal village near Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district. Jeeva is running a Tasmac shop in Karur district.Jeeva had come to his village for Shivratri on February 18. Jeeva’s 17-year-old cousin had gone to the nearby village to attend a cultural programme on the night of February 18. A dispute broke out between the boy and a boy belonging to another community. Twenty more people joined and assaulted the cousin.Kathir said that the boy complained about this to Jeeva. When Jeeva and his relatives went to the house of the boy belonging to another community on February 19, the latter’s father Murugesan abused him using a caste slur. Jeeva warned that he would lodge a police complaint.When Jeeva and others were consuming water near a school, 10 people including Murugesan came to the spot and started assaulting Jeeva. They allegedly stripped Jeeva’s clothes and urinated on him. When people belonging to Jeeva’s village came to know about this incident and came to the spot, Murugesan and others escaped, said Kathir.Kathir urged the police to register a case under provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrest all the accused. He also urged the government to provide a compensation of 5 lakh to Jeeva.Since it is a case of caste discrimination, anticipatory bail should not be given to the accused till chargesheet is filed. Protection should be given to Jeeva, he urged.

‘Take action against caste Hindus who urinated on SC man in Ramnad’

MADURAI: The executive director of Evidence, A Kathir, on Thursday, demanded immediate arrest of caste Hindu persons who allegedly urinated on the face of an SC man and partially undressed him during a quarrel in Ramanathapuram on February 19.

According to Kathir, a caste Hindu minor boy, and an SC minor boy had a quarrel, following which the caste Hindu boy brought a few other boys and assaulted the latter in the wee hours of February 19 in Sirugai village. “The SC boy reported this issue to his uncle Jeeva of Nattenthal.

Hence, Jeeva went to the house of the caste Hindu minor boy in Seerthangi village and condemned the family members for the act of the boy who brought in other boys to fight the SC minor boy. Following this, a neighbour of the caste Hindu boy belonging to the same caste, Sethur Murugesan, fought with Jeeva and warned him stating that he is in no way equal to them. Jeeva left the spot stating that he will lodge a complaint,” Kathir said.

He further stated that Jeeva was assaulted by the accused persons when he parked his vehicle in Puliyal village for drinking water. Jeeva was undressed and urinated on his face by the gang, added Kathir stating that later Jeeva was admitted to Government Hospital in Devakottai. The police have informed Evidence that they will register a case.

Kathir demanded the police book a case against the accused persons under the SC/ST Act, and that no bail should be granted for the accused until the chargesheet is filed. He also demanded a compensation of `5 lakh to be given to the victim and also sought police protection for the Jeeva and SC people in the locality.

NGO seeks action against Cuddalore district police for not taking action against couple

Even after a 28-year-old woman hailing from the Scheduled Caste community complained about atrocities meted out to her and two children by a Vanniyar couple under Thiddakudi police limits in Cuddalore district, the police had not taken any action for almost 30 days.

In a petition addressed to the Director General of Police Sylendra Babu, the woman Tamilselvi (28), wife of Kaviarasan, said that a couple (Kolanjinathan and his wife Tamilselvi) living in the same locality had been humiliating her and attacked her with weapons. Despite submitting complaints with the Thittakudi police on January 16, they had not taken action.

As a result, again on January 19, she and her two children – 6 years and 5 years old – were assaulted by the couple. When the issue was taken up with the police, they registered an FIR (First Information Report) against Kolanjinathan and his wife, under IPC Sections 294 b, 506 (1), SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 2015 read with 3 (1) (r) and 3 (1) (s) among others.

However, the police did not arrest the couple. When on February 7 night, the couple knocked her doors and brandished a knife attempting to kill her, she immediately took up the issue with the Cuddalore Superintendent of Police, upon whose directions, the Thittakudi police assured her that they would take action.

Under such circumstances, when the complainant approached Evidence, an NGO, following which a fact-finding team visited the habitation on February 16.

According to Evidence executive director A. Kathir, the Thittakudi police and the DSP had not taken action as per the laws.

“Just registering a case alone is not enough. Within 30 days, the police should have filed its final report, but in this case, they have not even questioned the complainant Tamilselvi…” he charged.

The reason behind the police not arresting the accused immediately also gave suspicion since the couple had filed a bail application in the High Court. When the complainant learnt about this, she personally appeared before the court and submitted video evidence following which the court dismissed the bail and directed the police to arrest them, Mr. Kathir said and added that the complainant’s husband was working abroad.

The fact-finding team urged the government to take stern action against the DSP and the Thittakudi police for not acting swiftly. The NGO demanded the government to pay compensation to the complainant and also give protection to the family.

‘Arrest teacher who hurled caste abuse at girls in Chinnalapatti school’

MADURAI: Evidence, an NGO working for the rights of SC/ST communities, has urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to order the arrest of the Math teacher who allegedly hurled caste abuses at two girl students in Devangar Girls High School at Chinnalapatti in Dindigul district recently. “Owing to the abuse, the students attempted the extreme step on February 15. The CM should also take steps to prohibit caste symbols and signs from schools across the state,” said A Kathir, executive director of the NGO.

In a press statement, he said, “On Wednesday, two Class 9 students attempted the extreme step after Math teacher Premalatha verbally abused them. Later that day, their parents and local residents staged protests urging the police to arrest five persons, including the headmaster and teachers in the school. Subsequently, our NGO conducted a fact-finding study at the high school and learnt that Premalatha told all students in the class not to speak to the two SC girls.”

One of the victims is undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Dindigul, while Premalatha has been placed under suspension. “The state chief secretary should send a team to the school to inquire about the caste discrimination meted out to students here. The victims should be provided psychological counselling and a compensation of `1.2 lakh. Their educational expenses should also be borne by the government,” Kathir added. Speaking to TNIE, Dindigul Superintendent of Police V Baskaran said a detailed inquiry is underway into the allegations.

Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu health department’s helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

‘ச்சீ தள்ளிப்போங்க’.. தலித் மாணவிகளின் கண்ணீர் கதை.. திண்டுக்கல் அரசு பள்ளியில் கொடுமை…

திண்டுக்கல் மாவட்டம் பெண்கள் பள்ளியில் ஆசிரியையின் சாதி வெறியால் தலித் மாணவிகள் தற்கொலைக்கு முயன்ற சம்பவத்தின் பின்னணி குறித்த உருக்கமான முகநூல் பதிவு

சின்னாளபட்டியில் ஆசிரியர்கள் அவமானப்படுத்தி திட்டியதாக கூறி ஒன்பதாம் வகுப்பு மாணவிகள் பள்ளி கழிவறையில் இருந்த பினாயிலை குடித்து தற்கொலைக்கு முயன்றனர். இந்த சம்பவம் குறித்து மாவட்ட பள்ளி நிர்வாகிகளும், போலீசாரும் விசாரித்து வருகின்றனர். இந்நிலையில், இச்சம்பவம் குறித்து எவிடென்ஸ் அமைப்பின் தலைவர் எவிடென்ஸ் கதிர் பதிவிட்டுள்ள முகநூல் பதிவு கவனம் பெற்றுள்ளது.

பக்கத்தில் வராதீர்கள்.நாற்றம் அடிக்கிறது.சாக்கடை நாற்றம்.படிக்க வரிங்களா? யாரையாவது காதலித்து இழுத்து கொண்டு போக போறிங்களா? உங்கள் ஆளுங்களுக்கு எதற்கு படிப்பு? உங்களை பார்த்தாலே அருவருப்பாக இருக்கிறது.
இந்த வார்தைகளை சொன்னது ஏதோ ஒரு சாதி இயக்கத்தின் சாதி வெறியன் அல்ல. பள்ளிக்கூடத்தின் ஆசிரியை. இதனால் மன ரீதியாக வேதனை அடைந்த ஒன்பதாம் வகுப்பு படித்து வரும் இரண்டு தலித் மாணவிகள், கடந்த 15 பிப்ரவரி 2023 அன்று பள்ளிக்கூடத்தின் கழிவறையில் இருந்த பினாயிலை குடித்து உள்ளனர்.

சின்னாளப்பட்டி தேவாங்கர் – பெண்கள் உயர் நிலை பள்ளிக்கூடத்தில் இந்த சம்பவம் நடந்து இருக்கிறது. சிகிச்சை எடுத்துவரும் இரண்டு தலித் மாணவிகளையும் திண்டுக்கல் அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் சந்தித்தேன். இந்த துயரம் நேற்று இன்று நடக்கவில்லை. கடந்த இரண்டு மாதமாகவே நடந்து வருகிறது. மற்ற மாணவிகளிடத்திலும் எங்களிடம் பேச கூடாது. அவர்களிடம் பேசினால் கெட்டு போய்விடுவீர்கள். அவர்கள் எல்லாம் காலணியிலிருந்து வருபவர்கள். அவர்கள் மீது நாற்றம் அடிக்கும் என்று கூறி கொண்டே இருப்பார். எங்களது மகிழ்ச்சியை நிம்மதியை முற்றிலும் அந்த ஆசிரியர் குலைத்து விட்டார். நாங்கள் அருகில் சென்றால் கிட்டே வராதீர்கள் என்று கூறி தள்ளி நிற்பார். எவ்வளவு காலம் பொறுத்து கொள்வது? இந்த அவமானத்தை எதிர்கொண்டு எப்படி உயிர் வாழ்வது?

விளையாட்டு போட்டியில் முதல் பரிசும் இரண்டாம் பரிசும் வாங்கினாலும் எங்களை பாராட்ட மாட்டார். அடுத்த நிலை விளையாட்டில் எங்களை விளையாட அனுமதிக்க மாட்டார் என்றும் கூறிய அந்த குழந்தைகளை எப்படி தேற்றுவது என்று தெரியாமல் அமைதியாக நின்று கொண்டு இருந்தேன். இதுவரை சம்பந்தப்பட்ட ஆசிரியை கைது செய்யப்படவில்லை. அவர்கள் வாசிக்க கூடிய தொப்பம்பட்டி கிராமத்தில் உள்ள மற்ற மாணவிகளிடத்திலும் விசாரித்தேன். சில சமயம் அந்த ஆசிரியை கோபத்தில் கன்னடத்தில் திட்டுவார். அந்த வார்த்தைகள் புரியாது. ஆனால் பறைச்சி, சக்கிலிச்சி என்று சாதியை கூறுவார் என்கிற குற்றச்சாட்டும் வைக்கின்றனர்.

இதனை கன்னடம் எதிர் தமிழ் என்று எடுத்து கொள்ள கூடாது. இந்த ஆசிரியர் மற்ற பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட தமிழ் சாதி மாணவர்களிடம் கண்ணியமாகத்தான் நடந்து கொண்டு உள்ளார். இந்த பள்ளிக்கூடத்தில் 48 ஆசிரியர்கள் உள்ளனர். இதில் ஒருவர் கூட தலித் ஆசிரியர்கள் இல்லை என்று அப்பகுதி மக்கள் கூறுகின்றனர். கல்வி கூடங்கள் சாதி கூடாரங்களாக உள்ளன என்பதை எவரும் மறுக்க முடியாது. பள்ளிக்கூடம் மட்டும் அல்ல. கல்லூரிகளும் அப்படிதான் இருக்கின்றன. சவ்ராஸ்ட்ரா கல்லூரி, யாதவர் கல்லூரி, மன்னர் திருமலை நாயக்கர் கல்லூரி, பசும்பொன் முத்துராமலிங்க தேவர் கல்லூரி, வெள்ளைச்சாமி நாடார் கல்லூரி இப்படி பல்வேறு சாதி பெயர்களில் மதுரையில் கல்லூரிகள் மட்டும் அல்ல.

பள்ளிக்கூடங்களும் உள்ளன. தமிழ் நாட்டில் எல்லா இடங்களிலும் இந்த அவலம்தான். தமிழக அரசு பேருந்துகளில் இருந்த சாதி அடையாளத்தை உத்தரவு போட்டு ஒழித்த தமிழக அரசு கல்வி கூடங்களில் தாங்கிஇருக்கும் இந்த சாதி அடையாளத்தை எப்போது ஒழிக்க போகிறது. தேவாங்கர் செட்டியார் பள்ளிக்கூடம் என்று வருகிறபோது இயல்பாகவே அந்த சாதியின் பெருமிதமும் ஆதிக்கமும் அங்கு மேலோங்கி நிற்கிறது. எந்த சாதி பெயரை தாங்கி நின்றாலும், அது எல்லா நிலைகளிலும் தலித் மாணவர்களையே ஒடுக்குகிறது என்பதுதான் உண்மை.

காடு இருந்தால் பறித்து கொள்ளுவார்கள். பணம் இருந்தால் பிடுங்கி கொள்ளுவார்கள். கல்வியை பறிக்க முடியாது என்று அசுரன் படத்தில் வசனம் வரும்போது எல்லோரும் ஓங்கி கைகளை தட்டினோம். ஆனால் சாதி கல்வியை மட்டும் அல்ல உயிரையும் பறிக்கிறது. கல்வி என்பது எழுத்து அறிவு மட்டும் அல்ல. அது சமத்துவ பண்பு என்பதை எப்போது சொல்லி கொடுக்க போகிறோம். ஆகவே காடு, பணம், கல்வி எல்லாவற்றையும் பறிக்க முடியும் மானுடத்தையும் சமத்துவத்தையும் பறிக்க முடியாது என்கிற ”நீதி கல்வி வளர்ந்தால்தான் சாதி கல்வி” ஒழியும் என்று அதில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

NGO demands arrest of teacher for abusing two Dalit girls at school

Following an assurance of stern action against the teacher after investigation, the people from Thoppampatti, who demonstrated in front of Chinnalapatti police station on Thursday, dispersed. | Photo Credit: File picture

தமிழ்நாட்டில் அதிகரிக்கும் பட்டியலினத்தோர் மீதான தாக்குதல்கள்: காரணம் என்ன?

பட மூலாதாரம்,YOUTUBE

தமிழகத்தில் தலைவிரித்தாடும் சாதி கொடுமைகள்!நியாயமானதா ஆளுநரின் கோபம்?

DMK leader hurls casteist abuse at Dalit youth for entering temple

A DMK leader of Thirumalaigiri in Salem has been arrested after a video of him verbally abusing a Dalit youth with casteist slurs for entering a temple went viral on social media platforms. The panchayat chairman, T Manickam who is from the Vanniyar (Most Backward Class) caste, took issue with youth entering a local Mariamman temple. In the video, Manickam can be heard using casteist and sexually offensive language against the youngster, Praveen, who is from the Paraiyar community (Scheduled Caste) in front of the other villagers. He is also seen asking how Praveen dared to enter the village and if he was trying to cause trouble. Further, in the video, Manickam is seen making threats of physical viloence.

Hours after the video surfaced, DMK said that Manickam was being suspended from his party position. Speaking to TNM, local police sources only confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and a case will be registered based on findings, but did not confirm the date of the incident.

However, Kathir, the founder-executive director of the Dalit and Tribal rights organisation, Evidence, told TNM that the incident occurred on January 27. Praveen, who Kathir confirms is 22 years old, had visited the Periya Muthumaariyaman temple, the previous night, on Republic Day. The following morning, Manickam humiliated Praveen in front of his family and even physically manhandled him, forcing the youth to apologise. Kathir adds that in this area of Thirumalaigiri, roughly 8 kilometres from Salem city, there is only one Dalit village, which is surrounded by fifty Vanniyar villages.

Manickam has been booked under IPC sections 506(2)(punishment for criminal intimidation), 294(b)(obscenity), the Prevention of Atrocities Against Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Act and the Protection of Civil Rights Act.

TN: Dalits enter Muthumariamman temple in Tiruvannamalai district after a long struggle
Caste Hindus gathered outside the Muthumariamman temple on January 30 and protested the Dalits’ entry, despite agreeing to it in the peace committee meeting.

Dalits from Thenmudiyanur village near Thandrampet of Tiruvannamalai district entered the Muthumariamman temple for the first time in 80 years on Monday, January 30. Hundreds of Dalits entered the temple and worshipped the deity, even as caste Hindus from different communities like Udayar, Agamudaiyar, Reddy, Naidu, Chettiyar, and Vanniyar, reneged upon an earlier commitment and picketed the temple in protest.

The 80-year-old Muthumariamman temple has been under the control of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) for the last three decades. Caste Hindus in Thenmudiyanur celebrated the 12-day-long Pongal festival in the temple where Dalits also wanted to be a part of the celebrations. But the caste Hindus refused to allow them to participate. The Dalits then petitioned the HR&CE Department to take the initiative to let them enter the temple. Based on their petition, the HR&CE conducted an inquiry and on Wednesday, January 25, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Mandhagini held a peace committee meeting with village residents. The caste Hindus initially opposed the idea but eventually agreed on Dalits’ entry to the temple starting from Monday.

Anticipating trouble, Tiruvannamalai SP Karthikeyan deployed police in large numbers around and inside the temple on January 29. Security was beefed up in the locality due to the protest and to prevent untoward events. Caste Hindus, especially Udayars and Agamudaiyars, gathered on Monday morning and staged a protest against Dalits’ entry. District administration and police officials scrambled to have another peace meeting with caste Hindus to convince them to withdraw the protest. After the meeting, District Collector (DC) Murugesh, SP Karthikeyan, HR&CE Joint Commissioner Ashok Kumar, RDO Mandhagini, and Thandrampet Tahsildar Parimala accompanied the Dalits and offered their prayers. People from the Dalit community entered the temple with garlands, fruits and pongal dishes to offer to the deity.

“Our village strength is nearly 7,200 and it consists of more than 10 castes. But Dalits are more in number and our population is around 2,500,” said 41-year-old Murugan, a resident of Thenmudiyanur, who entered the temple for the first time. According to him, Dalits from the village tried to enter the temple 50 years ago, but the caste Hindus were against their entry and denied their right saying that the temple would become impure if Dalits entered.

“In 2019, we raised our concerns with HR&CE and the district administration. The officials gave a nod but again, the caste Hindus were against our wish. After struggling for nearly 80 years, we went inside the temple and offered our prayers to the goddess Muthumariamman,” Murugan related.

Dalits in Thenmudiyanur constructed a small temple with the deity Mariamman. In the last 15 years, they developed this temple and offered prayers during the Pongal festival. In the Tamil month of Thai, each community in the village performed the temple ceremony where a car procession with the presiding deity was taken on the streets where they reside. This year, Dalits wanted to take the deity procession in Ambedkar Nagar and also wanted to participate in Jallikattu where a bull from each community would be released in the arena, but their demands were denied again. It was then that the Dalits approached the HR&CE Department to take the initiative to let them worship in the temple.

“This temple is common for all and it is under HR&CE so that anyone can come and offer their prayers. Security will be provided to all the people who are visiting the temple. If any problem arises in the future, the HR&CE will take full control of the temple,” District Collector Murugesh said during a press meet.

This is the third time in a month that Dalits entered their village temples which were denied to them for decades. On December 27, Pudukkottai DC Kavita Ramu and SP Vandita Pandey took Vengavayal villagers to Sri Ayyanar temple located in nearby Eraiyur village. The entry by Dalits was made possible after the DC received complaints about the Dalits not being allowed entry into the temple. The DC was visiting Vengavayal village where the overhead water tank used by Dalits was contaminated by human excreta in December.

Four days later, Dalits entered Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple in Eduthavainatham village in Kallakurichi district where Dalits had been denied entry to the temple for around 200 years. The Dalit community brought the issue to the notice of the district administration. Following their complaint, Kallakurichi RDO S Pavithra held a peace meeting with villagers on December 27. A few days later, on January 2, more than 250 Dalits entered the temple and offered their prayers.

In Tamil Nadu’s Vengaivayal village, hatred as the shape of water

In an incident that shocked Tamil Nadu last month, human faeces was found in an overhead tank supplying water to Dalit residents of Vengaivayal village in Pudukottai district. One month on, the perpetrators are yet to be identified and caught despite a CB-CID probe

An uneasy calm shrouds Vengaivayal, a remote hamlet in the Annavasal block of Pudukottai district, even while a public outcry over the shocking incident of last month, when human faeces was found in an overhead tank that supplied water to the Dalits in the hamlet, refuses to die down in the State.

The hamlet, which can be reached by a barely motorable road branching off the Tiruchi-Pudukottai national highway at Sathyamangalam in Pudukottai district, is fully fortified by the police now as its 20-odd Dalit families are still struggling to come to terms with the public humiliation.