DHARMAPURI: Thanks to prohibitory orders and deployment of a large posse of police personnel, the second death anniversary of E Ilavarasan, a Dalit youth who was found dead following the separation of his caste Hindu wife in 2013, passed off peacefully on Saturday without any untoward incidents.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration had imposed prohibitory order 144 (1) crpc in the whole of Dharmapuri district in an attempt to prevent people or any organisation from taking out rallies or organising public meeting to mark the death anniversary. However, Ilavarasan’s family was given permission to perform certain rituals at his grave in their native village Natham Colony between 2 to 4 pm. Accordingly, at 2 pm, more than hundred villagers, kith and kin of Ilavarasan led by his father Elangovan and mother Krishnaveni visited the cemetery and paid homage.
“Our wounds are yet to be healed. We are suffering without our son for past the two years but the system has failed to render justice to us,” Krishnaveni rued. Elangovan said, “Why did the government impose prohibitory orders and why have a large number of police been deployed here? The government is politicising the issue. We could not even pay peaceful homage to our son.”
Meanwhile, around 35 VCK cadre, including its spokesman Vanniarasu, were arrested when they tried to take out a rally in Dharmapuri to observe Illavarasan’s second death anniversary.
Party cadre put up posters in the town and gathered at the Ambedkar Statue to take out a rally but all of them were arrested.