NAGAPATTINAM: Five Dalits were beaten up by a caste Hindu family on Thursday after clashes broke out between the two over irrigating their fields, Two persons from the dominant community were arrested.
M Karunanidhi, a caste Hindu in Olayamputhur in Sirkazhi had harvested Kuruvai paddy and was preparing his field for Samba. His neighbour V Balakrishnan, a Dalit, was about to harvest in a few days.
Karunanidhi was directing water from the river into his field for preliminary wetting on Thursday morning. Water entered Balakrishnan’s field and posed a threat to his crops. Balakrishnan entered into a wordy duel with Karunanidhi on the issue and the two were joined by their families.
As tempers flared, Karunanidhi, his two younger brothers Mathiyazhagan (60) and Rajendran (58), Karunanidhi’s sons Kalairasan, and Kaviarasan, and Mathiazhagan’s son Dharmadurai assaulted the other group. Balakrishnan, his younger brother Azhagurajan (60), Azhagurajan’s wife Sulotchana (50) and Azhagurajan’s son Hariharan (30) were injured. Another youth who tried to stop the clash, was also injured.
Police arrested Karunanidhi and Mathiyazhagan while others involved in the incident went into hiding.
“Balakrishnan and Karunanidhi are small to medium farmers. We have booked Karunanidhi and his family under the SC/ST Act,” said D Haja Mohammed, DSP in charge of Sirkazhi.