KRISHNAGIRI: Police and revenue department officials on Tuesday removed encroachment allegedly built by a caste Hindu family in Nallachandram near Thalli to block access for Dalits to the burial ground. The village which comes under T Kothanur panchayat has 50 caste Hindu families and 60 SC families.
Denkanikottai DSP C Murali told TNIE, “On April 2021, M Tulasiappa, a dalit, petitioned the State Human Rights Commission seeking help to remove encroachment in the path to burial ground. Following this, various meetings were held with caste Hindus and finally, the structure has been removed. Many decades ago, Dalits used to reach burial ground via a patta land. But out of four patta land owners, who all are caste Hindus, one family objected and blocked the path. The Dalits had to used an alternative path which is around 2. 5 km from the village.”
Denkanikottai tahsildar K Saravanamoorthy said, “Notice was issued several times to the caste Hindu family to remove the encroachment, but they did not obey it. So we razed the encroachment.”M Tulasiappa (65) said he was happy to get back right of path to the burial ground. Out of 60 SC families, only some own land and bury their dead there, but others use the government facility. Four decades ago, caste Hindus allowed us to carry corpses through a road that passed through their land. One caste Hindu family objected to it and blocked the road. Now, we can pass through this path again.”
Another villager E Raniammal (35) said, “It’s very difficult to carry corpses through the alternative path during the rainy season, We wanted to give our beloved ones a decent burial, but it was denied for many years. Now we have got our access back.”