MADURAI
Over 200 residents of Kachanatham village near Manamadurai in Sivaganga district continued their sit-in protest at Government Rajaji Hospital here for the second day on Wednesday, condemning the murder of two Dalits by caste Hindus on Monday night and demanding severe action against the assailants. The families of the two victims refused to accept the bodies.
K. Arumugam (65) and A. Shanmuganathan (31) died in the attack by the group, which unleashed violence against Dalits, mainly targeting men, in the village to take revenge on them for not offering a caste Hindu family ‘temple honours’ and for ‘showing disrespect’ to them.
Six others, who were injured in the attack, are under treatment at the GRH. The villagers said though 15 people carried out the brutal attack, only five of them – Ajaydevan, Suman, Arunkumar, Agni and Rajesh – had surrendered before IV Judicial Magistrate C.R. Gowthaman here.
The protesters said all those accused in the case should be given lengthy jail terms so that such incidents would not recur. “Police also need to take strong steps to curb caste-related violence and provide protection to Dalits,” they stressed.
Stating that there were atrocities against Dalits in the village for several years, they said, “We need respect.” The protesters were shouting slogans throughout the day. More people from Kachanatham and adjoining villages joined them in the evening.
