The Samam Kudimakkal Iyakkam has appealed to the Collector and the Superintendent of Police of Madurai to visit Periakuravakudi in Usilampatti taluk to reassure the dignity of Dalits, who were denied their traditional right to participate in the local temple festival.
In a memorandum sent to the Collector, its State president, C. J. Rajan, claimed that Dalits were forced to sign a statement which said that the pongal cooked by them would not be offered to the deity during the festival. This was in contravention of the agreement reached at a peace meeting convened on March 25 on participation of Dalits in the Badrakaliamman Temple festival.
Seeking the implementation of all the decisions taken at the meeting, the memorandum wanted action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those responsible for forcing an undertaking from Dalits that the pongal cooked by them would not be offered to the deity. The district administration should organise programmes to sensitise people, police and government officials of Usilampatti region to Dalit rights and laws governing them, it said.