DINDIGUL: After 30 years of being virtually excommunicated by his village for marrying a woman from a different caste, K Palanichamy might finally be able to return to his family home. Following a complaint from the 56-year-old on encroachment of his late father’s property, police and revenue officials have agreed to help.
Palanichamy, who belongs to the Konar community, resides in Koombur in Vedasandur. He hails from Palaya Marampatti in the same area but was forced to leave after he married a woman from the Chettiyar community, although both castes fall under the Backward Class category.
In 2017, when his father died, the villagers refused to let him perform the final rites as the eldest son, he said. “Although I lodged a complaint at the Koombur police station, the cops put me off. The villagers made me offer an unconditional apology and I had to fall at the feet of the village elders,” he told TNIE.
Recently, he learned that a neighbour had encroached on his land and built a toilet. He again approached the police, who directed him to the District Principal Sessions Court. “Over 30 years ago, I married a woman while working in Hyderabad, but even now influential villagers do not include me in the village. I have several relatives residing there but none invite us to family functions citing the village rules. Influential persons have refused to accept the customary tax for the community deity from me since my father died,” he lamented.
Claiming that no one from the village came forward to help the family cremate his father’s body, he said he is worried now as his mother’s health is failing. He said he had lodged a complaint at the Koombur station about his family being excommunicated and for the customary tax for the deity to be collected from him. “I have even petitioned the CM’s cell in vain,” he said.
After TNIE asked Dindigal SP V Baskaran about the matter, he sent personnel to meet Palanichamy on Monday. Baskaran said Palaichamy had given a complaint at the Koombur police station on Tuesday and assured that action would be taken. Vedasandur tahsildar Vijayalakshmi said she had received a petition from Palanichamy and would form a peace committee to solve the issue.