E-Paper
In TN, Dalits forced to lower body from bridge for cremation after OBCs deny passage through their land
In the video, a group of Dalits are seen standing on the river overbridge lowering body with the help of ropes while another group of men standing down near the cremation ground take the body and conduct the final rites.
The administration in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district has ordered a probe after a Dalit man’s body had to be lowered from a 20-foot-high bridge over a river to ensure it could be cremated after caste Hindus in Vaniyambadi did not allow it to be carried through their land..
The incident happened on Saturday August 17 but came to light on Wednesday after a video of the Dalits plight was circulated on social networks, said police officers in Vaniyambadi.
In the 3.46 minute-long-video, a group of Dalits are seen standing on the river overbridge lowering body with the help of ropes. Another group of men standing down near the cremation ground take the body and conduct the final rites.
According to police, the deceased was N Kuppan (46), who died on Saturday in Adi Dravidar (Dalits are officially called Adi Dravidars in Tamil Nadu) colony in Narayanapuram.
“Due to the recent rainfall, the Narayanapuram Adi Dravidar Colony crematorium is not in good condition. Therefore, they are using an old crematorium nearby Palar river. For reaching the crematory, they have to pass agriculture lands of caste Hindus. As Kuppan died on Saturday morning, his relatives tried to take the body through these areas. But, the outraged caste Hindus - mainly Vellalar, Gounders and Vanniyars - allegedly prevented the body to be taken through their lands and asked the Dalits to take a different route,” said a police officer in Vaniyambadi.
Vanniyars, Vellalars and Mudhaliyars who belong to other backward castes reside in Narayanapuram.
Dalits, however, say the path they intended to carry the body was a small common way for reaching the Palar Riverside crematory, which has been used by everybody for a long time.
“The crematory path is not in the residential area of caste Hindus. It is a small common path near their agricultural fields. Though it was common pathway and we used it since our ancestors’ days, caste Hindus fenced it recently. When we requested them to open the fence, they were not ready. So, we were forced to carry it around and lower the body from the river overbridge for cremation,” said a Kumar, a relative of deceased Kuppan.
The administration has ordered into the incident.
“No one has filed any complaint about this incident and we came to know this only on Wednesday evening. Caste Hindus own the land where the way for the crematorium is lies. As caste Hindus allegedly denied the way, Dalits took the body to Palar river bridge from where they lowered the body with the help of a rope into the crematory. I have ordered Adi Dravidar Welfare Tahsildar to file a report on this incident. After receiving the report, we will initiate stringent action, if anybody is found guilty,” Priyanka Pankajam, Sub-Collector, Tirupathur, said.
