Caste Hindu in TN attacks tribal person for having tea at his shop

Kuppan, a Narikuravar man, faced caste discrimination and was allegedly beaten up by a tea shop owner when he and his grandson went to a tea shop in Mangalampettai of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, April 18. Kuppan is a member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and resides in Pallipattu Samathuvapuram area.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Mangalampettai police, Kuppan went to a tea shop that is located on the Virudhachalam road on April 18 early morning with his grandson. He bought tea for both of them from the tea shop. However, when the shop owner Annadurai saw both of them having tea, he was outraged and allegedly used casteist slurs. As per the FIR, Annadurai warned Kuppan not to visit his shop again. Annadurai belongs to the dominant Udayar caste.

When Kuppan asked Annadurai why he could not drink tea from his shop, Annadurai said “how could a Narikuravar man talk back” and allegedly beat Kuppan with a chair. Annadurai also allegedly threatened Kuppan’s son Deva when Deva approached him asking to know the reason why he beat Kuppan.

An injured Kuppan visited Virudhachalam Government Hospital for first aid and lodged a complaint at Mangalampettai police station. Mangalampettai police arrested Annadurai based on Kuppan’s complaint and registered a case under Sections 294(b)(sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506(1)(criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3(1)(r) (intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe in any place within public view) and 3(1)(s) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015. Annadurai was arrested on Tuesday evening.

This is not the first time that people from Narikuravar nomadic tribal communities have faced social stigma and discrimination in public places. A few weeks earlier, despite possessing valid tickets, Narikuravar people were denied entry to Rohini Cinemas at Koyambedu in Chennai to watch a movie, Pathu Thala, on March 30. The video of theatre staff refusing to allow Narikurava people went viral on social media and the theatre received backlash for the discriminatory behaviour. The CMBT police on March 31 registered a case against two staff, M Ramalingam, cashier and C Kumaresan, a security staff of Rohini cinema, based on the complaint registered by Narikuravar family members.