THOOTHUKUDI: Thalaivan Vadali villagers have removed a flagpole on Thevar Street on which they usually raise their caste flag on notable days. Thanks to the ‘Matrathai Thedi’ campaign organised by the district administration across several places in the district to spread awareness on religious and communal harmony. The village in the recent years has seen many murders on caste lines between people from a dominant community and Scheduled Caste. Residents led by the Thalaivanvadali Muthumariamman temple management committee vice president Sivasankar removed the flagpole following a pledge at Authoor police station on Sunday.
Speaking to TNIE, Superintendent of Police L Balaji Saravanan said the move was without any compulsion. “The “Matrathai Thedi” campaign to inculcate ethical values and build a hatred-free Thoothukudi has yielded results. The organisers were given a 36-point charter, including drug abuse, women safety, sexual offences, to be emphasised at public places, schools and colleges. The district police have conducted as many as 1,501 ‘Matrathai Thedi’ campaigns with the registered participation of 49,329 people in 59 days, since April 22 this year.”
Collector Dr K Senthil Raj said, “The seeds of change sown by the district police have started growing. This has boosted the confidence of officers and police personnel.”
Sivasankar told TNIE that he led the people to remove the flagpole only to denounce hatred and to restore peace in the village.