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Silent suffering is the Dalit lot at Chinnakannanur

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI JAN. 17. Dalits of Chinnakannanur near Manamadurai in Sivaganga district are silently suffering untouchability.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, the district CPI secretary, PL. Ramachandran, said many atrocities had been perpetrated in the village for many years. The 60-odd Dalit families were being kept in segregation and treated with contempt at panchayat committee meetings.

Dalit abuse was common in the village, where caste Hindus did not allow them to buy grocery from local shops. The double-tumbler system was rampant at tea stalls. The Dalits were not allowed to sit on benches and denied the right to have a share in the village common fund. They were also barred from participating in festivals.

The Dalits were not allowed to bathe in common `ooranis' (ponds). Irrigation supply was not being released for their land. There was no separate pathway to the local burial ground. `Poromboke' land, distributed to the Dalits, had been encroached on by the caste Hindus. Access to a public telephone, drinking water and the common path was being denied.

The Dalits were also prevented from filing nominations for panchayat polls.

Mr. Ramachandran alleged that the house of one Velu, a Dalit, was burnt down by a group of caste Hindus.

Later, caste Hindu women prevented a group of Dalit women from fetching water. The Dalits were not even allowed to enter their fields.

On October 22, 2002, the Dalits, who went to offer prayers to the rain god, were threatened by a group of caste Hindus, allegedly led by the panchayat president, Ramakrishnan.

Though complaints were registered at the Manamadurai police station, action is yet to be taken. As the situation in the village was not conducive to the Dalits, the Government should immediately take necessary action, demanded the CPI secretary.

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