Tamil Nadu: Two Dalits in Perumpalli village near Erode district, Tamil Nadu, were forced to prostrate before dominant caste members following a dispute over burial ground access, police said on Saturday, October 10.
Dalits were using a separate burial ground in Thingalur, four kilometer away from the village’s common burial ground, after being refused access to the common ground by the upper caste.
On October 5, the body of a 90-year-old man was being carried to the common ground because the Thingalur place ran out of space.
However, the procession was blocked, triggering a tense confrontation.
During the heated argument, members of the dominant community, led by M Rithuvarman, threatened the Dalits, warning that they would be barred from seeking future employment in the locality.
Fearing an economic boycott, two Dalit men fell at the feet, pleading for a decent burial.
It was completed under police protection and the supervision of Revenue Department officials.
Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
(With PTI inputs)
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