Erode: Members of the dominant caste from Nagapalayam in Kodumudi town panchayat and surrounding areas picketed the Collectorate here on Thursday and submitted a petition seeking action against Dalits in the area, who they claimed were fuelling a “caste feud.”
Recently, members of the Dalit community demanded that a ‘caste’ wall built along their colony be brought down as it forced them to take a circuitous route to reach the main road and a government school in the vicinity. Another complaint was that the Dalits were not allowed to enter the Mariamman temple in the area. The Dalits also fixed a “deadline” of July 2 for the demolition of the wall.
Following an inquiry with both groups involved in the issue, on June 28, Erode RDO Dr Sugumar oversaw the creation of two pathways by opening up the wall at two places in a bid to defuse the situation. Against this background, on Saturday, members of the dominant caste allegedly took a body along the Dalit colony and through the newly-created pathway carved out of the wall, during a funeral procession, triggering further tension. This they did even though they could access the crematorium in the area using a pucca route, it was claimed.
On Monday, the Dalits complained to the Collector, SP and RDO, alleging that the dominant case members were trying to fuel a caste feud. They also alleged that the other group carried with them “deadly weapons” during the funeral procession.
On Thursday, members of the dominant caste also submitted petitions to Collector V K Shanmugam, seeking action against the Dalits who were “threatening them.”
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