After the district collector’s intervention officials have decided to raze the wall…reports Asian Lite News
The revenue department of Tiruppur district in Tamil Nadu is considering razing a 300 feet long wall constructed allegedly by upper caste people at Mettupalayam in Kangeyam taluk of the district.
Villagers on Monday lodged a complaint with the Tiruppur district collector who immediately directed the taluk revenue authorities to look into the matter.
A Tiruppur district administration official told IANS that “The wall is constructed on ‘natham apormaboke’ land. Villagers told IANS that they expect the district administration to immediately raze the wall.
A farmer, Kumar Raman, told IANS that some individuals who are well connected and powerful with strong political ties built the wall separating the villagers from them. In local parlance it is known as the ‘untouchability wall’.
He said that the wall has created major problems for the villagers as even ambulances could not be brought in.
After the district collector’s intervention officials have decided to raze the wall.
Call for separate laws
Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) has called upon the state government to formulate separate laws for honour killings that are taking the lives of several people from the Dalit and deprived communities.
TNUEF General secretary, P. Samuel Raj in a statement on Monday, said that the front would appeal to the DMK government to eradicate evil practices like honour killings and to formulate a separate law for the same.
The front will also conduct surveys in 500 panchayats of the state to understand whether people from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities are able to access public places like toilets, bus waiting shelters, bus stands, and panchayat offices.
The organisation said that the practice of untouchability is rampant in temples and burial grounds and that it has taken up more than 25 such court cases in the state.
While interacting with media, Samuel Raj said: “The TNUEF is fighting six honour killing cases and we want the state government to appoint special public prosecutors to fight these in courts”.
According to its office-bearers, the front will also take up the land issues of the Scheduled caste people in the state and alleged that the Panchami land that was allocated to the Dalits and SCs was usurped and taken over by caste Hindus.