Dalit panchayat chief prevented from hoisting the tricolour

A. Kalaimani, Dalit village panchayat president addresses presspersons at Pudukottai. Photo: Special Arrangement

A. Kalaimani, a Dalit woman village panchayat president of Karu Vadatheru village panchayat near Vadakadu, was allegedly prevented from hoisting the tricolour on the Republic Day by a group of caste Hindus.

The group belonging to the Kallar community, led by Kumar, son of Rangammal, who is the vice-president of the village panchayat, allegedly pushed aside Ms. Kalaimani when she was about to hoist the national flag on the village panchayat office campus.

The village panchayat president told

The Hindu on Saturday that she planned to hoist the tricolour at three places – the village panchayat office campus; Raja Kudiyiruppu, a residential colony; and the panchayat union primary school at Kanniyankollai.

But, in view of the problem at the village panchayat office, she allowed the group to hoist the flag at the school and cancelled her programme at the residential colony.

She has lodged a complaint with the Vadakadu police and submitted petitions to District Collector B. Maheswari and Superintendent of Police R. Tamil Chandran.

Ms. Kalaimani said that she had alerted the police a week ago, seeking protection for the smooth conduct of the celebrations. To her surprise, no police personnel were deployed in time.

Police sources said that the matter was under investigation.

The district wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemned the police for not registering a case against those who prevented the Dalit president from hoisting the tricolour.

Led by M. Balasundaramurthy, union secretary of the CPI (M), they staged a demonstration in front of the police station at Vadakadu demanding immediate action. M. Chinnadurai, district secretary of the party, was among those who participated.