VILLUPURAM: Since the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) refused to permit the Eraiyur church festival car procession to be taken out through public roads pointing to caste-based issues in the past, the Madras High Court ordered the RDO to conduct a peace meeting and issue an order to effect on Saturday.
Our Lady of Rosary Church is situated in Eraiyur near Ulundurpet. According to sources, the Vanniyar Christians in the locality refused to allow Dalit Christians to enter the church using the main entrance, irking the latter. Since 2009, Dalits have been fighting to get the car procession to pass through their streets, a move opposed by the Vanniyars. In 2010, the latter boycotted the festival, since the car procession was to be taken through the Dalit streets also, as per an order from the Madras High Court.
The tension created by the festival prompted the implementation of Criminal Procedure Code 144 last year, prohibiting the movement of the car procession outside the church’s premises. This year, both the groups in the village have asked for permission to take the procession out through both Vanniyar and Dalit streets.
However, on Wednesday, Tirukoilur RDO Senthamarai issued an order implementing 144 in the village until next order and refused permission to take the car procession outside the premises.
The district archbishop held talks with the representatives of both castes, who agreed to take the procession through all streets. They repeated the same at the peace-keeping meeting held at Tirukoilur RDO office on May 21, assuring that no situation compromising law and order would arise. The authorities maintained their stand.
Peace Meeting
The bench ordered the district administration to organise a peace meeting, and accordingly it was held at the Tirukoilur RDO office on Friday evening. The police have been maintaining a strengthened presence since Saturday.