Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Dividing wall

The existence of a wall dividing Dalits from the people belonging to other castes in the village of Uthapuram, Tamil Nadu, is extremely shocking and shameful. More shocking is the disclosure that the wall has been in existence since 1990. Governments have changed since then but the wall has remained. It is unfortunate that no political party or leader has done anything about it. The wall is proof that there still exist pockets of savagery among the oases of progress and culture. One can only repeat Rabindranath Tagore’s plea: “Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls … Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

Anjana Anchayil,

Thiruvananthapuram

I was pained to read about the Uthapuram wall, which puts to shame the Berlin wall. It is impossible to imagine such things happening in one of the progressive States of India — the land of stalwarts such as Subramania Bharati, Periyar, and Kamaraj. Suppression and marginalisation of Dalits by caste Hindus is nothing short of organised terrorism. If walls are erected to prevent access to a group, they should be brought down. The oppressed should be protected till such time as others refuse to consider them fellow citizens.

P.V. Divakaran,

Avittathur

I am not for giving credit to the Tamil Nadu government officials for disconnecting the electricity given by the ‘upper’ caste people to the iron rods atop the Uthapuram wall to keep the Dalits away. If anything, the officials are answerable for the existence of the wall. The government should send teams across the State to find out how many more such walls exist in other remote villages.

J. Eden Alexander,

Thanjavur

The various reactions from the readers were interesting. The letter from Tirupur (April 19) gives us a firsthand account of the state of affairs in Uthapuram. Whatever the pros and cons of the issue, The Hindu has made the public aware of the social milieu.

N.A. Murahari,

Chennai

The letter says Dalits and caste Hindus coexist peacefully in the village and that there are even business transactions between them. It also says the caste Hindus constructed the wall for their protection. The two statements are contradictory. If a wall alone can give protection, we could have put up so many walls for the protection of Dalits across the country. The reader’s reasoning is unacceptable. Protection can be ensured not by building walls but by developing confidence in one another. The only permanent solution to the Uthapuram wall of shame is the voluntary demolition of the same by caste Hindus of the village.

N. Sureshkumar,

Madurai

The Hindu has done a yeoman service to humanity by exposing the despicable form of caste discrimination in the Madurai village. It looks like education makes no difference when it comes to perpetuating untouchability. The heinous crime should be viewed seriously and the government must act without fear or favour.

K. Ramachandran,

Madurai

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