Madurai: Charging that caste crimes are increasing each year in Tamil Nadu, victims and panellists at a public hearing on caste atrocities, called for the state govt to take active steps to prevent caste atrocities and also ensure victims of caste crimes get justice by not letting the perpetrators get away.
M Chinnadurai, a dalit student from Nanguneri, Tirunelveli, who scored 469/600 in the Class XII state board exams, even after being subjected to caste violence by his schoolmates, emphasised that only education will uplift anyone.
“When I was hospitalised after being attacked, my teachers supported me throughout by helping me study and I was able to get good marks. Continuing education was important to me as only then I can work and uplift my family. I’m happy to be able to go to college. I hope even those who attacked me also study well. Then they too can learn and come up in life,” he said.
Another prominent instance of caste crime that was discussed was the Vengaivayal incident wherein human faeces was found dumped into the overhead water tank supplying water to SC villagers. Continued inaction against those involved in the incident was condemned.
The jury panellists, comprising advocate B B Mohan, advocate Santhanam, Prof Semmalar, and A Kathir, executive director, Evidence, put forth various recommendations, including for the state police to avoid filing counter FIRs against victims of caste crimes and speed up pending court cases involving caste atrocities.
The public hearing was organised by Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO working for dalit rights, on Saturday in Madurai. Around 30 victims of caste atrocities took part in it.
MADURAI: Aggrieved family members of several victims of alleged caste atrocities in the state gathered at Sterling V Grand Hotel in Madurai on Saturday, and submitted petitions to Evidence Executive Director A Kathir seeking action and justice.
The rendezvous was called ‘Caste Atrocities in Tamil Nadu’, where around 30 cases were discussed in the presence of panel members Kathir, Advocates B B Mohan and Jayana Kothari, Madras High Court Advocate Ezhil Caroline, Director of Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation Edwin, LAAS Director Advocate A Sandhanam, and Loyola College Professor Semmalar.
The cases included that of Ajithkumar, from scheduled caste community, who studied in Thanjavur Medical College. He was allegedly killed in 2017. His parents said their son had taken part in a protest against the death of Anitha, which they claimed, backfired. The victim’s mother said, “The warden passed derogatory remarks based on our caste. On March 16, I got a call saying my son had died of stomachache, but the postmortem report concluded heart attack.”
One of the victims of the Vengaivayal case, in which human faeces was allegedly mixed in a water tank of the scheduled caste community by caste Hindus in 2023, said that despite an FIR being filed, no action has been taken. He alleged that the police diverted the case against the victims. Advocate B B Mohan said, “The evidence has been destroyed by the police.”
In a case of alleged honor killing from 2023, pregnant woman Ramya was killed by her in-laws after she refused to abort her three-month-old foetus. Ramya’s father from Andipatti said that she had a love marriage with an ambulance driver, a caste Hindu. Based on Ramya’s father’s complaint, the accused was arrested. “The government provided us `10 lakh, pension, and a job,” said the panel.
The next was about Rajesh (26), who was allegedly killed by Mariyappan and Mandhira Murthi at Viswanathapuram in Tenkasi. Rajesh’s father said the family received `12 lakh compensation and pension. But, he called the government job an eye wash. Edwin, a panel member said, as per norms, the victims should be given a home, pension, job, farmland, emergency relief, and free education to their children.
Evidence, a non-governmental organisation based in Madurai, held a public discussion on
the topic ‘Tamizhagamum Sathiya Vankodumaigalum,’ (Tamil Nadu and Caste Atrocities)
here on Saturday with victims and their family members who were subjected to various
types of discrimination based on their caste in the recent past.
The general point discussed among the panelists based on the victims’ testimonies was the State which bears the responsibility to provide justice to the victims, in most of the times, had been the sole reason for purportedly distorting the evidence or framing less
charges against the accused allowing them to walk free.
This is not only against the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, but also goes against
the State government, which boasts itself as a ‘Dravidian,’ model, which extends its
support to the welfare of the under-privileged people in the society, observed speakers.
Citing the deliberate faulty approach of the police in dealing with sensitive cases involving
members of Scheduled Castes (SCs), senior advocate B.B. Mohan said that the overhead
tank where human faeces were found was destroyed even before any test was performed on
the tank.
“It was only after the intervention of activists and the public, tests were done using those
samples,” he added. “In the same issue, an example of their faulty approach was framing
the victims as the accused. This does not end with this case but continues as a routine to
include victims in the case to divert the investigation,” he said.
A. Kathir, Executive Director of Evidence, said that according to their study, about 48
honour killings have been reported in the last three years, but the government data
showed only three honour killings in the past five years.
“This not only shows its lethargic attitude in recording the offences, but also shows its
complacent attitude towards such a serious issue,” he added.
Further, he said that in honour killing cases, only those involved with SC community are
taken seriously by the police, what were the status of the honour killings which involved
only the members of intermediary castes. “This is the reason why we demand a separate
Act for honour killing. The Act irrespective of the community of the victim would help in
delivering justice to those who fall prey to one of the barbaric practices in Tamil society,”
Mr. Kathir added.
Another major topic discussed during the hearing was to ensure appropriate relief
measures were extended to the victims’ family.
Mr. Mohan said that taking into account the victims’ educational qualification, relief
measures should be provided. “Even if the victim has completed engineering, giving the
family member the post of an Office Assistant (OA) is another form of discrimination,” he
added.
The job which was being provided to the victims’ family as a rehabilitation measure should make sure that the family lived a self-dependent and decent life, he said.
Condemning the ‘inaction’ of police department against the perpetrators belonging to
caste Hindu community who attacked the members of the Dalit community during a
temple festival at Deevattipatti village in Salem district, Kathir of ‘Evidence,’ organisation
based in Madurai, has released a press statement demanding strict action against those
who were responsible for the violence.
In his statement, he said that it was revealed during his visit to the village that the Dalit
community villagers were attacked by the members of the intermediary castes. He said
that even police personnel, in the name of investigation, had entered houses of Dalit
community and attacked them.
False cases had also been foisted against the Dalit community members with vested
interests, he added.
Government officials held talks with the intermediary caste members who prevented Dalit
community members from entering the temple and attacked them but did not initiate
action against them. Hence, they should be subjected to departmental action.
Pointing out Pattali Makkal Katchi functionary Venkatesan’s alleged role in the attack, he
said, he was not arrested yet. “He should be arrested and remanded immediately,” he added.
He added that the National Human Rights Commission should take cognisance of the
issue and investigate the matter. Above all, he said, officials of the Mariyamman Temple,
which is under the control of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department,
should ensure that Dalit community members are allowed entry into the temple. Those
who act against their rights should be immediately arrested and punished, he demanded.