CHENNAI: Leaders of the ruling DMK’s alliance partners, including the Congress and the Left parties, have strongly condemned the murder of K Vairamuthu, a youth belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC) from Adiyamangalam in Mayiladuthurai district, calling it a caste-based ‘honour killing’. They reiterated their earlier demand to the government to bring in a special law to prevent such crimes.
They had earlier made such a demand following the caste-motivated “honour” killing of Kavin Selvaganesh (23), a software engineer from an SC community, in Tirunelveli in July.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai described Vairamuthu’s murder as “a direct challenge to social justice and human rights” and demanded strict action against the culprits. In a statement on Wednesday, he urged the state to enact a separate law to curb the “continuing honour killings”.
In a statement, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the incident exposed the urgent need for special legislation to curb “rising caste killings” and sought an integrated scheme to support inter-caste couples.
The party urged the government to encourage inter-caste marriages. The government should come forward to review the concessions currently being offered for such marriages and implement an integrated special scheme that includes giving priority in employment opportunities, providing full subsidy loans for self-employment, and allotting house sites.
The 28-year-old mechanic (Vairamuthu) was hacked to death on Monday night allegedly by the brothers of a young woman (K Malini) with whom he was in a relationship for 10 years.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam alleged police negligence, pointing out that Malini’s brothers had openly threatened Vairamuthu in the presence of the police earlier. He said the Tamil Nadu police, “which have failed to take appropriate measures and instead remained a mute spectator”, deserved strong condemnation.
The CPM urged the state government to immediately arrest all those involved in this murder, including the conspirators. The party demanded adequate compensation for the family of the deceased and a government job for one of the family members of the deceased.
Furthermore, the state party unit committee once again stressed on the need for Tamil Nadu to bring in a special law to tackle caste-motivated killings.