CASTE CLASHES AND DALITS RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TAMIL NADU

Author(s): J Devakumar
Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress , 2006-2007, Vol. 67 (2006-2007), pp.
606-623
Published by: Indian History Congress

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 CASTE CLASHES AND DALITS RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS IN TAMIL NADU
J Devakumar

" Untouchability lives within boundaries. The boundaries are made

of Hindu sacred texts known as 'Dharmasastras'. Untouchability
ceases to exist as and when these boundaries are dismantled

This is what Ambedkar emphasized in his proposed inaugural speech

at the 'Jat-Pat Todak Mandai' of Lahore in 1936. However, he was
never allowed to deliver his speech precisely because of its anti-
Dharmasastric contents. Much water has flowed since then, particularly
after the Independence But the curses of untouchabiliy and caste -
related problems have not been totally exercised. Although the blatant
observance of purity pollution principle has become much less visible
after the adoption of the Indian Constitution, in political space it has
assumed altogether a new shape. Caste has never been so assertive in
Indian politics, as it is today. This in turn, has led to caste violence in
various parts of the country. Tamil Nadu is no exception. It has recently
witnessed serious caste conflicts in rural as well as in the urban places.
This study is a modest attempt to understand the phenomenon of caste
clashes and Dalit rights violations in Tamil Nadu
The word 'Dalits' is derived from Sanskrit root 'Dal-' which means,
'to break'or 'broken and down trodden'. The clusters of epithets
include, Out-Castes, 1 Exterior-Castes,2 Depressed Classes ,3
Untouchables,* Ex-Untouchables,5 Harijans 6 and Dalits.1 The end point
of the verbal and conceptual development is the official euphemism, the
scheduled caste.'*

The world has entered a new century. The Dalit in India has
welcomed the 21" Century as the Era of Dalit initiatives. As of now
the term "Dalit " hardly needs any introduction. It has got its familiar
favourable connotation, accepted by the people all over the world.
Dalit represents a form of consciousness; it is the name of self-
assertion. Dalits represent a grand tradition and high heritage. The
nation formed by the subdued native Indians is called Dalit. This is a
self conscious, independent declaration of self- nomenclature of the
sons of the soil of India, who have been subdued, oppressed, depressed,
exploited, expropriated and spurned by the governing caste.

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 Modem India 607

DALIT PROFILE

In Tamil Nadu violence against Dalits is not a new phenomen

historical origin of untouchability in other parts of India i
same as that in Tamil Nadu; here it is linked to the establishment of
the Vedic Brahmin religion.. Unlike other parts of India, since
Buddhism and Jainism thrived for a longer time in TamilNadu- up to
the fifteenth century C E9 the vedic Brahmin religion and the practice
of untouchability that accompanied it could only make a belated entry.
Untouchability existed even in the Sangam period but it was not
based on birth.10 Another group argues that such untouchability was
based on profession.11 Both the schools of thought base their
conclusions on classical literature such as the Ettuttokai (Eight
Anthologies) and the Pattuppaattu (The Ten Idylls) believed to have
been written between the second century CE and the third century
CE. Many point to a poem in Purananuru which has a reference to
parayan , a term that denotes a caste that is today classified as a
scheduled caste.

Tudiyaan, panan, parayan , katamban endru in- naangu allaadu

kudiyum illai (Other than the Tudiyan, Drummers and the Paanan,
singers and the parayans and the Katambans, there are no clans).12
The non-Dalit commentators understand this to mean that the
discrimination and oppression of the Dalits is not of recent origin a
they derive solace in believing that untouchability is as old as the
sangam period.
As per the Government of India's notifications there are about 7
scheduld castes in Tamil Nadu. Among these 61 are recognized
throughout Tamil Nadu. Though there are about 76 scheduled castes,
only Adi-Dravidas, Pallars, Parayars and Chakkiliars are important
prominent scheduled caste group in Tamil Nadu. They are collectively
called Harijans or Scheduled Castes.13
Tamil Nadu is one of the states that has recorded high incidences
of atrocities against Dalits. Caste clashes continue to plague the state.
Individual clashes lead to group clashes and they finally lead to murder,
property damage and other forms of violence. Dalits are socially
backward as well as weak in number. The SC population comes to
13.82 crores and the ST population to 6.77 crores representing 16.33
and 8.00 percent of the total population respectively. In Tamil Nadu
the percentage of SC population is 19.18 percent.14 On the All India
map Tamil Nadu has the sixth biggest population of Scheduled Castes.
The regional distribution is as follows: The Nilgiris (30.22%),
Villupuram and Cuddalore districts (27.1%) Chengalpattu (inclusive

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608 MC: Proceedings, 67th Session , 2006-07

of Tiruvallavar and Kancheepuram districts (25.97%) Thanjavur,

Tiruvarurand, Nagapattinam [24.17%), Thiruvannamalai (21.46%),
Vellore dt (20.70%) and Dindigul (19. 41%). 15
The atrocities against Dalits have increased steadily over the
past years. The following data on the atrocities brings this out sharply.
There were 8,500 crimes recorded against Dalits which include 261
murder and 302 rapes.16
"The number of incidents of crime against Dalits by others is in the
range of 16000 to 1 8000 in the recent years, up from less than 10,000
per year before 1976. But in the 1990's the rate has been witnessing
a sudden spurt and increased manifold, i.e. 55000 to 65000 crimes
against Dalits per year. They include about 1600 of rapes per year.
Crimes against Dailts and Adivasis increased by as much as 89
percent between 1992 to2004. However of the total of 1.67 lakhs
cases of crimes against the SCs and STs framed between 1955 and
2000, only 4,322 (or a patry 2.6 percent) resulted in conviction."17
Recorded Crimes Against Dalits
Year 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

Cases 110 14 114 5 16 412 - 35 7 18 54 141 115

Year 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

Cases - 119 153 299 689 852 758 650 700 482 219 219 677
Year 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Cases 682 698 738 733 702 678 589 654 645 742 NA NA

Sources; National Crime Record Bureau

Since 1995, 250 people have been killed in caste clashes in the whole
of Tamil Nadu, out of which 86 men and women were killed in the
caste clashes in south Tamil Nadu. By all counts this is a grim picture
indeed. The precipitating causes of these castes clashes can be grouped
mainly into economic, social, political. Police actions constitute a
separate factor by itself. But it should be noted that all these broad
causes are intermixed with the caste angle, i.e., the caste question is a
common thread in all these various incidents.

Cases registered under Protection of Civil Rights Act in Tamil Nadu

Year Reported Convicted Acquitted Referred Pending Trial Under
Investigation
2000 38 - - 09 28 N 01
Cases registered under Prevention of Atro
in Tamil Nadu

Year Reported Convicted Acquitted Referred Pending Trial Under

Investigation
2000 996 03 128 279 471 115

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 Modem India 609

Number of Atrocity /Dorment At

Year Atrocity Dorment Highly Sensitive Total
Prone Atrocity among the
Villages Prone Villages Atrocity
prone villages
2000 194 233 138 565

Source: AditionalDirector General of Police CID.Chennai Statistical

hand book of TamilNadu 2001

From 1990 onwards, Tamil Nadu has become the arena for recurring
caste conflicts involving the Dalits/ Adi Dravidars on the one side and
oppressor castes like the Thevars and the Vanniyars and, Nadars on
the other. The conflicts started in the northern part of the state in 1986,
and in the next decade engulfed the southern part too.

USURPED LAND AND DALIT RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Karanai is a small village located about six km west of Mah

Thirukazhukundram road in Chengalpet district. On Octo
the dalits of Karanai and adjacent villages installed a life-
of B.R.Ambedkar on a piece of land owned by Veerabadra
Karanai village. The land and its surroundings, measuring
acres, were originally assigned to the dalits of Karanai and seven
adjacent villages in 1933, as per the order of the Collector of
Chengalpattu district.18 This land was defined as panchama- land or
depressed class land. As per this order, any sale or purchase of the
panchama land by anyone other than a Dalit is considered illegal. In
course of time, these 650 acres of panchama lands at Karanai were
usurped from poor and ignorant dalits and transferred to members of
other communities with active connivance of corrupt revenue officials
and rich caste-Hindus.19 Prominent among the latter are Goutham
Chand, of Thirukazhukundram, Perumal Swamy, IG (crime) of Tamil
Nadu police, and Sakuntala of Vadapalani.
The Dalits installed an Ambedkar's statue to reassert their
legitimate right over the panchama land. But the Chengalpet p
officials in collusion with the upper caste usurpers, forcibly p
down and disfigured Ambedkar's statue on the very evening of O
5, 1992.20 The news of the discretion of Ambedkar's statue spr
like wild fire throughout the district. Thousands of agitated D
gathered on October 10 in front of the office of the Subcollec
Romesh Chand Meena, demanding action against the erring pol

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610 IHC : Proceedings , 67th Session , 2006-07

officials and reinstallation of the statue at its previous site.

The Dalits were refused permission to enter the Sub-collector's
room; instead they were thrown out, the sub-collector himself catching
one of the Dalit leaders by the collar. Incensed at the treatment meted
out to them, the Dalits left the premise, raising slogans, and squatted
on the GST Road, the national highway. Instead of giving a patient
hearing, the Subcollector lost his temper and ordered police to open
fire on the Dalits, half of whom were women. He did not even follow
the elementary procedure of voicing a warning through loudspeakers,
followed by lathi charge, exploding of tear gas shells or buck shots in
the air to scare away the crowd.
John Thomas, a Dalit and a non- governmental project-holder, and
Elumalai, another young Dalit, were singled out and shot by the local
police.21 They were deliberately made targets, say eye witnesses. Both
had organised many agitations for the welfare and protection of Dalits
in Chengalpattu. In all 14 persons, including women, suffered gun
shot injuries. To justify the unprovoked firing, the police incited their
hirelings to set aflame a bus. The police arrested 130 Dalits, including
20 women,and beat them till the lathies were broken. Women were
partially stripped and mercilessly beaten.
Some clear cases of human rights violation by the revenue and
police officials of Chengalpet district in the Karanai incident are:
The Dalits of Karanai and seven neighbouring villages were deprived
of 650 acres of the panchama land assigned to them. These panchama
lands were usurped and transferred fraudulently to caste Hindus and
other communities with the active connivance of revenue department
officials.

The Dalits were denied the right to install Ambedkar's statue on a

private land due to the unlawful and unjustified intervention of the
police at the instigation of upper caste usurpers of the panchama
lands.

Indiscriminate and unprovoked police firing on the masses is a

clear case of human rights abuse. No warning was given to the public
which included large number of village women. Fifty two rounds
were fired. Two persons were killed and 14 persons, including 14
women , received bullet inuries.22
Right to information is an important right of a citizen. The local
press reporters covering the meeting of Dalit representatives with
the Sub-collector were threatened by the police. The police fired at
them despite the fact that the local police knew them well. Three
reporters from Police Seithi, a Tamil weekly, Murasoli DMK's
official organ and the Indian Express , narrowly escaped death.

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 Modem India 611

Womenfolk should not be kept i

22 women were detained inside t
a whole night in the presence of
Torture of an accused person in
rights abuse. Father Yesumarian
lawyer was stripped to the wais
December 11. Anjalaiammal, age
Susila, aged 27, of Madurantaka
and beaten on their buttocks by
Even when a hard core crimina
the family and close relatives o
of John Thomas's funeral, whic
Pappainallur near Vedanthang
allowed to attend the funeral.

The death of Elumalai who succumbed to bullet injuries on October

15 in the Chengalpattu general hospital was concealed from his
parents and the public for 24 hours. Except his parents, none was
allowed to participate in his half-an-hour funeral.24

DALIT ASSERTION AND CASTE VIOLENCE

Caste clashes in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have predo

involved two communities the Thevars (a backward caste) and the
Pallars( or Dalits). As has been the case in other states, the Dalits in
Tamil Nadu have long suffered from exploitative economic
relationships and have frequently been the victims of violence.25
However, changes since the early 1990's have altered the economic
relationship between the Thevars and the Pallars and have changed
the contours of the conflict. Having benefited from the state's policy
of reservations in education and from the income provided by relatives
working abroad, the Pallars have become much less dependent on
The var employment and have begun to asteert themselves in the political
arena.26 The Thevars have responded to this threat to their hegemony
with violence. Dalits too have begun to fight back.
Several districts of south Tamil Nadu faced a civil war type of
situation due to the Thevar- Dalit clashes. Villages and towns like
Rajapalayam, Madurai, Sivakasi, Mangaapuram, Thuraiyur,
Mamasapuram, and Edayankulam in 'Prosperous' districts like
Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli Ramanadu, witnessed
intense clashes during 1995, 1997 and 1998. The situation is still grim,
even a small spark is capable of provoking big outbursts.27
The first major atrocity, leaving a lasting impression on the psyche
of Dalits all over Tamil Nadu, was the killing of Immanuel at

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612 IHC: Proceedings, 67th Session, 2006-07 *

Mudukulathur village in 1 957.28 Immanuel was a staunch an

fighter for Dalit rights, equality and non-discrimination.
lost a valiant fighter and even now his name evokes tremendous
feelings of reverence in their minds. Through his death he became a
potent symbol of caste oppression and the fight against it and the
desecration of Immanuel's statue or portrait automatically results in
militant reactions from them. As late as 1997 a group of upper caste
people forcefully destroyed the statue of Immanuel in Amichiyarpatti
village and this was considered an extreme provocation.29 Dalit protests
resulted in an oppressor caste response of ransacking the whole village
and inflicting serious injuries on many Dalits.

KEELVENMANI MASSACRE

The Keelvenmani massacre on 25 December 1968 was of a different

kind, though caste was again an important precipitating factor. In this
case it was a question of the Dalit agricultural workers getting
organised into a fighting trade union demanding just compensation
for their labour.30 The agricultural workers threatened to bring the
agricultural operations to a stop. The big landowners of Thanjavur,
who had witnessed spectacular increases in irrigation and productivity
and who had come to depend more and more on hired wage labour,
decided to strike before the workers. In a well planned attack they
killed 44 Dalit workers in cold blood.31 After the massacre in
Keelvenmani, atrocities on Dalits were unleashed in at least twenty
different parts of the state. All of them were triggered by the resistanc
of the Dalits against inequality and the demand of just compensati
for their hard labour.

WAVE OF VIOLENCE OVER VSTC

The cycle of violence began a in the late April 1997 when the
government announced the creation of a new transport corporation in
Virudhunagar district in the name of a Pallar community member(the
Veeran Sundaralingam Transport Corporation, VSTC).32 The Thevars
opposed the proposal and some were heard to remark, "How do you
expect us to travel in a bus named after a Dalit? It is a personal affront
to our manhood." On May 1, 1997, VSTC was inaugurated; Thevars
threw stones at the buses and refused to ride on them.33

On May 2, Dalit leader Dr. Krishnaswamy was arrested and

accused of sparking violence with his "inflammatory speeches".
Spontaneous protests erupted as news of his arrest spread through the
region. Protesters staged several road blockades and for the three days

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 Modem ìndia 613

that Dr. Krishnaswamy remai

lathi charges and bursting tear
Two Dalits were killed by the police at Sivakasi in Virudhunagar
district.

In protest against police action Thevarsat Sivakasi, thevars in

Mansapuram village attempted to introduce coconut shells at tea stalls
for Dalits to keep them from sharing tea tumblers used by caste
Hindus.35 When Dalits resisted, Thevars, looted Dalit houses in
Amachiyarpatti village. In Rengappanaikkanpatti Thevars vowed to
make Dalits "dig pits for the burial of bodies of dominant castes." The
entire Dalit population of the village was later forcibly driven out, as
Thevars set fire to their homes and fields.36

In the months following the remaining of the transport corporation-

and Dr. Krishnaswamy's arrest, the districts of Theni, Madurai,
Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, and Tuticurin witnessed periodic eruptions
of violence and the forced displacement of thousands of Dalits from
their homes. Police and districts officials treated the situation as a law
and order problem, and under the guise of seeking out Dalit militants
activists, conducted search and raid operations exclusively on Dalit
villages.37 They arrested and assaulted hundreds of men and women
and they looted their homes and destroyed material possessions. Dalits
were the worst affected in terms of property loss and physical injuries
sustained like hand and leg fractures due "to violent attack(s)on them".
The police filed many false cases against Dalits, which only "increased
political consciousness amongst the Dalits."38

RESERVATION AND AFTERMATH

From 1996 to 2002 the reserved Panchayat Presidencies o

in Chellampatti Union, Keeripatti and Nattarmangalam in the
Usilampatti Union in the Madurai district and Kottakatchiyenal in the
Narikudi Union in the Virudhnagar district had ten announcements of
elections, but nine times out of the ten no Dalit could even file his/her
nomination papers.39 The dominant oppressor caste in all these
Panchayats are the Piramalai Kallars, a subsect of the Thevars. They
created a sense of fear among the Dalits, by issuing a decree that any
Dalit who dares to file his/ her nomination paper shall be killed.
The Pappapatti Panchayat, with 1992 voters, has a Dalit population
of 40 percent. This village is the birth place of Mookiah Thevar, a
leader of a Thevar party called Forward Block. It has become an issue
of pride for the Thevar party called "Forward Block". It has become
an issue of pride for the Thevar, who question, 'How can a Dalit sit in

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614 IHC : Proceedings , 67th Session, 2006-07

the chair which Mookiah Thevar occupied?'40 They are unable to digest
this challenge to the status quo. Furher, there is a temple here that
belongs to Piramalai Kallars and it has been a tradition that the first
honours of the temple are bestowed on the Panchayat President. To
these caste- ridden oppressors, it becomes a issue, for, if a Dalit
becomes the Panchayat President they would have to honour him/ her
in a temple into which he /she has right of no entry.
The Keeripatti village in the Usilampatti Union has three wards,
and a total of 1393 voters. About 25 percent of the inhabitants are
Dalits, and it was declared a reserved constituency because of the
eighteen Panchayats in the Usilampatti Union, the highest number of
Dalits live here. Keeripatti is the processing and export centre for ganja
produced in the hilly regions of Varusa Nadu, Mayiladum Paarai and
Kadamalai Gundu. Every year, several crores' worth of ganja is
processed and exported; this 'business' is the major source of
employment for the 'upper castes.' It is especially this group which
deals in ganja that prohibits the Dalits from contesting the elections in
this reserved constituency.41
The third reserved constituency in Madurai district which has gone
without a Dalit elected representative in Nattarmangalam in the
Usilampatti Union. It has a total vote list of 1930 people, of which
about 500 are Dalit voters. The State Government and various
authorities maintained their false propoganda that 'there was no
from any force, and that only the Dalits didn't want to contest'.4
They took up this issue with the President, the Prime Ministe
the Leader of the Opposition. Consequently, Subban in Pappapatt
Poonkodiyan in Keeripatti filed their nomination papers on 27 M
2002, the last day allotted for the filing of nomination papers fo
elections to be held on 8 April 2002. This caused the Kallars to
the prohibition they had imposed. To prevent the candidates f
winning the elections, they put up two dummy candidates in ea
these constituencies. They threatened Poonkodiyan's brother an
not even allow the election posters to be put up in these villages. Dur
the election campaign in Keeripatti Panchayat constituency, sli
were thrown on the candidates, and the Government and Police offi
who accompanied them. The Dalits of these two villages fled, wi
not to cast their votes. Of course, the dummy candidates of the The
went on to win the elections. Within a hour of swearing-in, bot
dummy candidates Thanikodi in Papapatti and Karutha Kann
Keeripatti resigned their posts.43 Now, Subban and Poonkodiyan
death threats, and they cannot go back to their villages.

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 Modem India 615

THE MELVALAVU MURDER

In September 1996, the village of Melavalavu, in Madurai

declared a reserved constituency. The Melavalavu panchay
council) covers eight villages with approximately 1000 Dalit
In June 1997, a group murder of the elected Dalits by ne
Thevars signalled that constitutionally mandated shifts in
power to scheduled castes would not be tolerated by caste
displaced from their once secure elected positions.45
The murders of the Dalit leaders of Melavalavu Pancha
clearly because "untouchability" was still ingrained in
system. The economic conditions in the village were abysm
power was concentrated in the hands of a privileged few.46 Th
had hitherto enjoyed a hold over common properties such as f
temple lands and forest produce and did not want to relin
privileges to a Panchayat system run by the downtrodden.
was basically a result of shift in the power equations from
the have-nots.

The elections scheduled for October 1996, were subsequently

cancelled as all three Dalit nominees withdrew their candidacy for
fear of sanctions against the entire scheduled caste electorate. When
polling finally did take place in February 1997, the election was
suspended after several incidents of booth capturing. Murugesan 35
years old, won the presidency in the third round of polling, which
took place under heavy police protection and was boycotted by the
dominant castes.47 With police protection the election has been held,
but upper caste people still entered the booths and threatened and
stabbed both men and women and took away ballot boxes, throwing
them into a well. Elections were declared after one week.48 In this
Murugesan was elected. There was heavy police protection. Still the
Amblakars(Thevars) boycotted the elections. The Murugesan was not
able to go to office. Only during the swearing in ceremony did he go
to the office because he had a police escort.49
On the day of the attack, June 30, 1997, Murugesan was returning
from a visit to the Collector's office to inquire about compensation
for houses burned in an earlier incident. Kumar an eyewitness who
barely survived the attack himself, boarded the bus and sat next to
Murugesan.50 The assault on them was led by a Thevar named Ramar.
Ramar and Alagarsamy, the former panchayat president gave explicit
instructions to their Thevar followers to "Kill all the
Pariahs(Dalits)".Five Thevars joined together put Muruge
ground outside the bus and chopped off his head then t
well half a kilometer away.51 Some grabbed his hands oth

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616 IHC: Proceedings, 67th Session, 2006-07

his head and one cut his head with a bill hook. They deliberately took
the head and poured the blood on other dead bodies.

UPWARD MOBLITY RESULTS IN VANDALISM

In recent years the economic relationship between Thevars and

(Dalits) has shifted notably. Like most Dalits in rural India, the
tradionally were employed as agricultural laborers (on Thevar
and were usually paid less than the prescribed minimum wage. I
1990s, Pallars began to enjoy minimal upward economic mo
which reduced their dependence on the Thevars. Pallars becam
to own and farm their own lands or look elsewhere for employm
The first in the policy of reservations, which has been mo
effectively implemented in this state, more than other states.
Reservation in education frees Dalits from land-based occupation. A
second factor is that many Dalits have been recruited by Gulf countries.
They send their earnings home, and their families are able to acquire
land thereby. So feudal dependency has been reduced.53

POLICE FORCE DESCENDS UPON A DALIT VILLAGE

Since 1980 the Dalits of Kudiyankulum village, in Tuticurin

have benefited from the flow of funds from family members e
in Dubai, Kuwait and the United States. On August 31, 1995
member police force attacked the Dalit village in the presen
superintendent of police and the district collector and d
property worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.54 In wha
to be a premediatated attack, police destroyed consumer dur
as TVs, fans, tape recorders, sewing machines, bicycles, ag
implements, tractors and lorries and also demolished places f
of food grains. They made a bonfire of clothes and burnt th
and testimonials of educated Dalit youth. The village post o
targeted and police allegedly poisoned the only village well.5
elder claimed that all through the operation the policemen
abuse on the villagers and made derogatory references to th
The stated purpose of the raid was to capture Dalits a
involved in the murder of three Thevars in a nearby village
earlier. Many suspect that it was the relative affluence of
that attracted the attention of the uniformed men. The idea
was to destroy their economic base, because the police
Kodiyankulam Dalits provided moral and material support
miscreants in the surrounding areas.56

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 Modem India 617

PREYING ON DALITS

Numerous are the ways in which Dalits are tormented. They are
murdered and maimed; women are raped, their children are abused
and deprived of schooling, they are dispossessed of their property;
their houses are looted and torched. They are denied their legitimate
rights and their sources of livelihood are destroyed. Adding to the
long list of atrocities committed against Dalits were two incidents
reported in Tamil Nadu, in which three Dalits were forced to consume
human excreta.57

On 5 September 2002 at Kaundampatti in Dindigul district Sankan

a Dalit agricultural worker was forced to drink urine for having lodged
a complaint of trespass with the police against a caste Hindu, following
a dispute between them over a piece of land. Sankan had suffered
many atrocities during his five years of struggle against his caste Hindu
landlord to get possession of the land. In his complaint, Sankan stated
that the landlord had collected nearly Rs. 1 lakh over a period of fifteen
years through deductions from his wages as the price of the land.58
An equally horrifying incident occurred at Thinniyam village in
Tiruchi district on 22 May 2002. Two Dalits, Murugesan and Ramasami
were forced to eat each other's human excreta.58 Thinniyam is a tiny
village near Lalgudi. About a hundred Dalit families live here, the
Kallars, comprising 200 families are the predominant caste. Seven
years ago, Kuruppiah(38) reportedly paid Rs.2000 to S. Rajalakshmi
the president of the local panchayat, a Kallar by caste. With no house
having been allotted and Rajalakshmi's term drawing to a close,
Karuppiah demanded that the money be returned. Subramanian,
Rajalakshmi's husband, who was then in service as a teacher, first
asked for time; later he denied that Ue had taken any money. A
frustrated Karuppiah made public his complaint on 20 May. Enraged,
Subramanian along with his son abused him and assaulted him with
shoes, Karuppiah later alleged in a compliant to the police.59 The next
morning Subramanian and his relatives allegedly assaulted Murugesan
and Ramasami with foot wear and hot iron rods for helping Karuppiah
bring his grievance to public notice. It was at that time that the two
were reportedly forced to feed each other's human excreta.

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618 IHC: Proceedings , 67th Session , 2006-07

Tabulation of Dalits Rights Violation in Tamil Nadu in recent

years
S. Date Place/District Causes Victims

No.
1. 1957 Mudukulattur Dalit Peravai started Immanuel, a Dalit
activist murdered

2. 1968 Keelvenmani/Tanjore Demand for wage hike 44 Dalits burnt to

death

3. 23.7.1978 Villupuram Demand of wage hike 12 Dalits murdered

4. 1979 Unjanai/Ramanad Entry into Temple Entry denied to the
Dalits

5. 14.3.1992 Kurinjakulam/ Entry into temple 4 Dalits murdered

Tirunelveli

6. 2.6.1992 Chidambaram, Dalit couple suspected Husband died in police

Annamalai Police to be terrorist custody with 21
station injuries, Padmini
stripped and gangra
by police, later
certified as low
character by Police
7. 4.10.1992 Karanai/ Chengalpattu Ambedkar's Statue Ambedkar Statue
installed removed, false case
filed Against Dalits
8. 10.10.1992 Chengalpattu Collector Claim of Panchami 2 Dalit c
Office Land

9. 26.7.1993 Athiyur/Puducherry Theft case Vijaya was reped

10.11.11.94 Ammanabakkam/ Temple Entry False case filed, Dalits
Chengalpattu hurt
11.31 .8.95 Kodiankulam/ Police raid in search Destruction of house-
Tutucorin of arms hold articles worth,
130 Dalits killed

12.5.4.1996 Tkallupatti Reaction to speech by 2 Dalits murdered

Rajapalayam Dr. Krishnaswamy
party President
(DKVF)

13. 30.5.1997 Virrudhunagar, Chain of clashes over Buses damageu, conti-

Tirunelveli naming Bus Transport nuous caste clashes in
Chidambaram after Dalit leader and around southern
Veeran Sundaralingam districts of Tamil Nadu
14.13.6.1997 Meenambalpuram/ Desecration of Dr. Dalits injured
Madurai Ambedkar's Statue

15.13.6.1997 Valliyur/Tirunelveli Desecration of Dalits arrested,

Dr. Ambedkar's tortured

16.13.6.1997 Melvalavu/Madurai Dalits elected as President and his

Panchayat President fellowmen hacked to
death

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 Modem India 619

17.26.7.1998 Vilakkanampoodi/ Sticking of Handbill Dalits severely beaten,

Timvalluvar congratulat K.R. not allowed to stick
Narayanan first Dalit the bills
President of India

18.19.11.98 Tiruvallur/ Separate tea tumblers No entry to tea stalls

Pudukottai for Dalits

19.8.9.98 Thali/Dharmapuri Arrest of Kalpana and Kalpana raped infront

her husband of her Husband in the
Police station

20.28.1.1998 Tittakudi/ Bus burning 6 dalits arrested 1 8 Yr

girl molested by a group

21.28.9.1998 Cuddalore/ Forceful evacuation Land usurped

of Dalit from their
own land

22. 1.12.1998 Ogalui/Perambalur In search of arms 69 dalits arrested

23.26.2.1998 Gundupatti/Palani Boycotted Lok S abha 32 dalits arrested, 3
election/ Demand of women molested,
Health centre property worth 26
lakhs damaged
24.26.2.1998 Dindugal Desecration of Dr. 124 Dalits injured
Ambedkar's Statue

25.23.7.1999 Tirunelveli Panchayat election 1 1 dalits killed.

26.23.7.1999 Tirunelveli Panchayat election 426 injured
27.5.9.1999 Thathakuppam/ Panchayat election 10 huts set ablaze
Cuddalore

28.23.7.1999 Tirunelveli Monjolai tea estate 17 killed, 536 arrested

strike

29. 26.5.2000 Puliangudi/ Love affairs [vanniar Both burnt to death

cuddalore dt. boy dalit girl]
30.10.5.2001 Vandavasi/ Local Election Dalit property
Tiruvannamalai ransacked

31.14.4.2001 Errampatti/ Desecration of Dr. Some dalits injured

Madurai dist. B.R.Ambedkar statue

32.13.10.2001 Gingee/ Ritu, a Dalit woman Raped in Gingee police

Tiruvannamalai dist. alleged sex worker, station
arrested

33. 6.12.2001 Bheeman athapuram/ Demand of high wage Severely beaten, not
Ramnad dist. allowed to Work
elsewhere

34.21.6.2002 Elaichur/Dharmapuri Anand (Irular) theft Police stripped Sathy a,

dist. case Anand's wife

35. 22.5.2002 Thinniyam/Tiruchi Govt, free houses/ 2 Dalits forced to eat

dist. reclaim of Rs. 2000 human excreta
from high Caste
Panchayat President

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620 ¡HC: Proceedings , 67th Session, 2006-07
36.3.7.2003 Podukooraipatti/ Intercaste marriage Couple were poisoned
Vridhachalam dist. to death infront of
villagers
37. 15.8.2003 Chotathatti/Sivagangai Hoisting of National Beaten with iron chair
flag by Dalit and Attempted to rape
the daughter
38.2.5.2004 Kaalapatti/Coimbatore Demand of common Dalits houses
dist. road for all castes ransacked, 20 houses
set ablaze

39.26.4.2005 Keeripatti, Paapapatti, Panchayat post Elected Dalits threa-

reserved for Dalits by tened to resign from
Government office the very next
day
40.17.6.1997 Meenakshipuram, Installation of Dr.BR 12 Dalits murdered,
Manjampatti, Mangudi Ambedkar's Statue entry into tea shops
denied

41 . Alagapuram/Ariyalur Temple entry banned Denied right to worship

dist.

42.5.10.2002 Koothiranbakkam/ Marriammnan 300 Dalits converted

Kanchipuram procession restricted into Islam, High caste
to High caste Streets mob attacked whole
Dalit village
43.17.6.2005 Salem Dalit entry into tea Group clashes, Entry
shop despite ban by into tea shop banned
high caste
44.27.8.2005 Devakottai Temple entry for Denied right to worship
Dalits denied

45. Annaithalaiyur/dist Caste clash among Dalits students insulted

students over Kabbadi
match

46. Sankarankoi/ Seating arrangement 2 Dalits students beaten

Madurai dist. in Govt, school by upper caste students
47.8.11.1996 Nannagaram/ Installation of Dr.BR Houses and shops
Tirunelveli dist. Ambedkar's statue burnt

48. 14.8.2005 Orrappanur/M adurai Demand of power and Denial of wate

dist. water supply supply
49. 26.10.2005 Kanchi/ Local Panchayat Dalit candidates
Tiruvanamalai election threatened and property
damaged
50.14.3.1996 Salem government Dalit student drinks Dalit student blinded
school water drinks meant severe beating by
for high caste students teacher

CONCLUSION

Is a matter of shame that even after fifty seven years of inde

the practice of untouchability, banned by the Constitution, is

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 Modern India 621

vogue in many towns and villa

witnessed some of the worst inc
and violence. Invariably, the peo
society, Dalits, have been at the
and property, what pains these v
and the inhuman treatment they a
dignity and self- respect.
Tamil Nadu witnessed not only
related violence since early 1990
centuries old prejudice against Dalits in cruel and vulgar forms.
However a striking difference one could not fail to notice during this
period was the qualitative shift in the Dalit response to casteist
oppression. Inspired by the nation-wide celebration of birth centenary
of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the Dalits became more organized! and were no
longer ready to take things lying down like they did before. Since
1995, the cast-Hindu intolevance of growing Dalit assertion has
manifested itself in increased oppression. Significantly, the state police
have mostly been on the side of the oppressors.
The conflict as presently being played out is not directly between
Brahmins and Dalits, it is between the other Backward Communities
(OBC) and Daltis. The emergence of a section of people whose status
was improving as a result of opportunities provided for them 'could
not be accepted by some people in the higher castes and this is one of
the major causes of the clashes'. Dalits are required to fight each and
every inch for gaining their own liberty and freedom.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Marc Glanter, Competing Equalities: Law and the Background Cla

Oxford University Press, Delhi, p. 14.
2. Walter Fernandes, The Emerging Dalit Identity. The Re assertion of t
Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 1996, p. 122.
3. Mohindra Singh, The Depressed Classes , Hindus : Their Economic And Social
Condition, Kitabs,Bombay,1997,p 123.
4. David Crystal, The New Penguin Encyclopedia , Penguin Books India, New
Delhi, 2002, p. 1099.
5. Herald Issac, Indias Ex Untouchables , The John Day Co., New York, 1 964, p. 1 86.
6. Pradep Kumar, 4 Dalits and the B S P in the Uttar Pradesh : Issues and Challenges
Economic and Political Weekly , April 3, 1999, p. 822.
7. Eleaner Zelliot; FromUntouchable to Dalit; Essay on the Ambedkar Movement
Movement Monahar, Delhi, 1992 p.267.
8. Barbara R Joshi, Democracy in search of Equality : Untouchables Politics and Social
Change Hindustan Publishing Corporation, Delhi, 1982, p. 10.

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622 ¡HC: Proceedings , 67th Session , 2006-07
9. Venkatasamy, Bavuthamum Thamzihum , Tiruneveli: The South India Saiva
S iddantha Works Publishing Society, 1940, p. 142.
10. Subramanian, Sangam Polity, Madras: Asia Publishing House, 1966, p.23.
1 1 . Hanumanthan; Untouchability: A Historical Study upto 1500 A.D., Madurai : Koodal
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12. Mangudi Kizhaar; Purananuru , Madras : New Century Book House, 1981 .
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14. Cyril Kanmony, Rights of Dalits ,Sage Pubishers, Delhi- 1 1 , p. 74.
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32, 2002, p. 40.
16. Rattan Singh and Mamta Mehme, Socio-Legal Status of Dalits, ISBN ,1999, P 78.
17. Ibid., p. 102.
18. RIDIS.GO. No. 5560, Dated 19. 11. 1933

19. Karuppan IAS (Retd), Memorandum Submitted to the Honourable Chief Minister
of Tamil Nadu, dated 21" November, 1994, p. 2.
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Nadu, p. 3.
21 . Mark, Panchami Nilappor (Tamil Booklet), Mugil Publication, Madurai, p. 45.
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26. State Human Rights Commission: Report on prevention of Atrocities against
Scheduled castes (Tamil Nadu) 2004, p. 9.
27. Vishwanathan S., 'Caste based mobilization and violence', Frontline, November 6,
1998, p.46
28. Diankaran, Mudukulathur Kalavarm , Dinakaran Publishers, Madurai 1 957
29. Thyagi- Emmanuel murder report , Mudukulathur, 1957, p. 8
30. Deerag, 'Gentlemen Killers of Keelvenmani', Economic and Political Weekly, 26
May 1973.
31. Vimalanathan, J. et Al., Status Report of Dalits in Tamil Nadu, an Overview,
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Review, 2001. Journal vol. No. 121, Iss No. 03, Pgs 239
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35. Komathinayagam Enquiry Commission : September 1995-1996, p.8.

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36. Mark, Kodiankulam , IDEAS Publish

37. M. Mahalingam, Kodiankulam, Imm
38. Christodas Gandhi, Honourable Secr
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39. Thirumavalavan,Thol, Supremo of Dalit Panthers of India; Extreme emotions of

Dalit Liberation, p. 29.
40. Dalit Murasu ; March 2002, p. 2.
41. The Hindu , 22 April, 1997, p.7.
42. Dalit Murasu , April 8, 2002 p. 1 2.
43. Dinamani , April 9, 2002, p. 6.
44. N. Ram, Editor "Melavalavu violence due to shift in power equations," The Hindu ,
August 16, 1997, p. 4.
45. Paneerselvan A.S, "On the violence Threshold," Outlcok, May 21, 1997 P42
46. PUCL- Tamil Nadu Team: (People's union for civilLiberties), Final Report of the
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47. Ibid., p. 6.
48. George Mathew, 'The meaning of Melvalavu ', The Hindu , Sept., 30, 1 997, p. 6.
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53. All India Devendrá kulla Vellalar Sangam Report, 1997, p. 5.
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55. Gopalan, T.N: 'Revenge of the oppressed'. The Pioneer, 13 July 1997, p. 19.
56. Pfaffenberger, Byran: Caste in Tamil Nadu, VPH, 1982, p. 197.
57. Reddy, Muralidharan B.: 'Dalit Dyanamics at work', The Hindu , 22 August 1999,
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58. Jayaraj Sivan;, "Thevar-Dalit caste wars haunt Southern Tamil Nadu,", Indian
Express , October 7, 2002, p. 3.
59. TheHinduy June 21, 2002, p.2.

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