COIMBATORE: Stating that caste discrimination is rampant in several villages across Coimbatore, the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) on Monday submitted a petition to the district administration listing 92 villages where people from Scheduled Castes face oppression. Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati has directed revenue and police officials to investigate it.
In the petition submitted to Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, DVK’s Coimbatore urban secretary NV Nirmalkumar said they conducted a survey and found out issues like two tumbler system in tea shops, denial of hair cut to SC people, and not allowing SC people to bury their dead in the common burial ground in 92 villages across nine unions in the district.
The discrimination is severe at 18 villages in Sulur Union, the outfit said.
“Dalit people are not allowed to enter three temples at Mopperipalayam village in Sulur union. SC people are denied haircut by salons in Palathurai in Madukkarai Union, Kulathur in Sulur Union, Panapatti in Kinathukadavu Union, Oraikkalpalayam in Annur union, Lakshminaickenpalayam in Sultanpettai union and Semmedu, Selambanur, Devarayapuram in Thondamuthur union,” it said.
Further, DVK stated that the survey revealed prevalence of two tumbler system at tea shops in at Kondampatti, Mottuvavi, Periyakalanthai, Andipalayam in Kinathukadavu union, Tholampalayam Pudur in Karamadai Union.
“Dalits are served tea in plastic cups while others are given tea inglass or steel tumblers,” Nirmalkumar stated in the petition.
“We conducted the survey in May based on a resolution passed in our conference held at Salem in April .
Upper caste people in most of villages are not allowing dalit people to bury dead bodies in common burial ground. We have taken the matter to the knowledge of the officials in the district administration. If there is no action till January 25, we would launch protests in the respective villages and in front of the collector office,” said Nirmal Kumar.