PUDUKKOTTAI: Hundreds of policemen gathered in a remote village of Pudukkottai district for a funeral procession on Friday. The security arrangement was in place for the funeral of K Kanthaiya (70) belonging to Scheduled Caste and videos of the funeral went viral on social media.
During a visit, TNIE learnt that an alleged issue over members of a particular group of SC community using a main blacktopped road for funeral procession has been around for decades. Veermangalam panchayat in Aranthangi taluk has 14 villages.
One of them is Periya Veermangalam, which has a sizeable caste Hindus population and some belonging to SC community. The nearby Kamaraj Nagar has significant SC population belonging to another group. People of Veramangalam have allegedly been denying Kamaraj Nagar residents rights to use the road belonging to the highways department.
Palanivel Kuttaiyan of Kamaraj Nagar, who belongs to a particular group of SC community, said, "It is a government road. Yet, they do not allow us to use it for funeral procession. If we try, they create trouble and hurl casteist slur on us. They insist that we take an 'alternate path,' which we refuse for two reasons -- it is longer and road works are incomplete as a part of it belongs to the next panchayat." K Rajendran of Kamaraj Nagar said,
"For many years, we have carried dead bodies on our shoulders through a field. For the past two years, we have been using an ambulance for hearse service, which cannot go through the field. That is why we want to use the main road." On September 4, Aavudayarkoil police registered an FIR based on a complaint given by Palanivel against 14 people of Veeramangalam for waylaying a funeral procession, verbally abusing a group of SC people in the name of caste and threatening them.
Veeramangalam Panchayat president Rathinam Anbazhagan said, "It has been only a few years since the Kamaraj Nagar residents started using the road. Veeramangalam residents, who are not from that particular group of SC, are only against a few practices followed during funeral procession. That is why they do not want the road to be used. Veeramangalam residents do not want to change certain traditions and, therefore, want Kamaraj Nagar residents to follow the old way.
There is no caste issue in this. I look forward to higher officials for an amicable solution." Talking to TNIE, Aranthangi Deputy Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar said, "We advised people to maintain peace. It is indeed a state highways department road. But, every village has certain traditions and practices. Even when we give permission for Vinayakar Chaturthi procession, we do not allow them through every single road. Our intention is to avoid problems.
We are looking forward to the upcoming peace committee convened by the RDO." RDO Swarnaraj told TNIE, "I convened a peace meeting on August 3 and 6. But, people from the SC side did not participate. I have advised the other communities that it is not right on their part to block a state highways road. If SC people tell us that they want the 'alternate road' to be better, we can try to get funds from the district administration."
When asked the reason for boycotting the meetings, members of SC community said they have no faith in local authorities and have decided to take up the issue with higher authorities. They also said that they have sent a letter explaining their position to the RDO.