Dalit residents of the Adi Dravidar Colony at Parameswaranpalayam, Thondamuthur, on Monday petitioned the district administration seeking action against those who destroyed their houses, and assaulted two youth on January 2.
Members of the Tamilar Viduthalai Iyakkam led by C. Venmani, a lawyer, submitted the petition.
Mr. Venmani said that Vivekanandan, Mohan, Palanisamy, Muthu, and a few others — all caste Hindus in the area — demolished three houses belonging to Dalits, and toilets attached to two houses.
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They claimed that the houses and toilets had encroached upon the pathway leading to Vivekanandan’s land. Dalit women told them that they had been living there for four generations, and that they had public distribution system cards, and power connections.
They asked Vivekanandan and others to show documentary proof to show that the houses and toilets were encroachments, they did not respond. Instead, they used an earthmover to demolish the houses and threatened the women of dire consequences if they approached the police for help, said Mr. Venmani.
The residents made a complaint at the Thondamuthur Police Station.
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The police registered a case on January 3 after the residents staged a demonstration in protest agiant the assault on Anandakumar and Sampathkumar, by caste Hindus.
The Dalit residents again staged a demonstration as the police had not invoked provisions of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damages and Loss) Act in the first information report but merely filed cases under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Civil Rights Act.
But based on a counter complaint from the caste Hindus, the police had registered a case under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damages and Loss) Act against the two Dalit youths for allegedly damaging the earthmover.
The members of the three families whose houses had been demolished were living on the streets, left to fend for themselves, said Mr. Venmani.
‘Inspect homes’The Social Awareness Movement on Monday petitioned the district administration seeking an inspection of welfare homes that functioned in the district.
It said that though the organisation had informed the administration of a few illegal homes, action was taken against a home only after a student died there.
There were many homes in the district that were not registered and for the managers of those homes profit was the only motive.
Waste
Residents of Uthupalayam at Arasur on Monday petitioned the district administration to express their opposition to the waste management project, which was proposed to be implemented in the village. The petitioners said that the project would be very close to temples, the villagers had been visiting for long, and come up on land that had thousands of herbs. The Pilloor project’s pump house was also close by. It was from the plant that the village received water.
If the administration were to sanction the project, the villagers would put to untold hardships and the environment would be severely affected, they said.
Tasmac outletRepresentatives of the residents’ welfare association of Mullai Nagar and Sri Nagar in P.N. Pudur on Monday petitioned the district administration to give up the proposal of Tasmac to open a liquor outlet near the Mullai Nagar bus stop.
The Coimbatore urban unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party petitioned the district administration on Monday seeking shifting of Tasmac outlet at 794-795 Oppanakara Street.