Days after Dalit houses were destroyed in a caste clash in Sankarapuram in Villupuram district, a member from the National Commission for SC/ST from Chennai visited the place to investigate the incident. Condemning the violence against Dalits, Puthiya Tamilagam leader K. Krishnaswamy has sought stringent action against those responsible.
Dr. Krishnasamy also warned that his supporters would stage protests in a democratic fashion if objectionable dialogue in the Tamil film, ‘Baahubali,’ which showed a Dalit community in poor light, was not removed in 48 hours.
He further demanded that the State Government put an end to the goonda culture in Southern districts and urged the police to arrest the persons responsible for the murder of a Dalit leader in Tirunelveli district.
The Muslim party, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, appealed to all the community members in Sanakrapuram to strive for peace.
“The violent incident has come as a shock to those who wish that members of all communities must live together in peace. These acts of violence are instigated and orchestrated by those who don’t like unity between backward and scheduled castes of Tamil Nadu. Both the communities must co-operate to bring peace in the region,” a statement said.
In a press release, ‘Evidence’ executive director A. Kathir, who visited Sankarapuram to investigate the incident, urged that the destroyed Dalit houses be rebuilt immediately and the families duly compensated. He also demanded that the caste Hindus involved in the incident be taken into custody without delay.
PMK denies role
Meanwhile, condemning the accusation of the VCK that it had instigated the violence against, the PMK on Wednesday said posters by the Dalit-based outfit led to the clash.
PMK leader K. Balu alleged while a peace committee meeting ended without any solution, provocative posters were pasted by VCK cadres in the village. “The reaction was spontaneous. The PMK had no role in the clash,” he said, adding that there were many members of the DMK and AIADMK among those arrested after the incident but only the PMK was being blamed. Mr. Balu said the party had filed a petition against the police, which allegedly ransacked houses belonging to caste Hindus, with the National Human Rights Commission.
Warns his supporters would stage protests if objectionable dialogue in ‘Baahubali’ is not removed
