The Director of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, S Ravivarman, visited Sokkadi village in Krishnagiri on Saturday, November 4, after the attacks on members from the Paraiyar (classified as Scheduled Caste) and the Vellala Gounders (classified as Backward Class) on October 29. Residents of the village, who belonged to the Paraiyar community, told Ravivarman that they are still victims of untouchability. They also asked for the main accused in the case, Rajan, and the other perpetrators from the Vellala Gounder community to be arrested under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Meanwhile, the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) assured that they would offer full-time security to the residents of Sokkadi in light of the caste violence. Reports said that Ravivarman warned the police officials against threatening to foist cases against members of the Paraiyar community and arrest them when they tried to file complaints about the caste violence. He further emphasised that only strict punishments for perpetrators will reduce instances of caste violence.
On October 29, at least 10 members of the Paraiyar community were injured in a mob attack allegedly led by the local AIADMK leaders, including a panchayat leader and her husband. The attack was instigated after members of the Paraiyar community had raised concerns about the ongoing stone polishing work at a local Mariyamman temple built by the Gounders. The Dalits in the area had opposed the stone polishing as the dust caused health problems.
Sokkadi Rajan, AIADMK’s Krishnagiri West Union secretary, Panchayat leader Kodila Ramalingam (AIADMK), and her husband Ramalingam allegedly used casteist slurs and led the mobs that pelted stones at the Dalits. Sokkadi Rajan and Ramalingam have been booked by the police under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, however, Kodila Ramalingam has not been named in the FIR. Apart from this, members from the Gounder community also pelted stones at some of the houses in which the Dalits resided, on October 30.
Read: Tamil Nadu: 10 Dalits injured in mob attack allegedly led by AIADMK leaders