VILLUPURAM: The All India Ambedkar Makkal Katchi president Y.Balasundaram on Wednesday visited Kuladeepamangalam in Thirukkoilur block near here that recently witnessed clashes over the conduct of the local temple festival.

Later, Mr. Balasundaram told presspersons that the Dalits were not only barred entry into the Draupadi Amman temple there, but they were socially boycotted, as the shopkeepers were refusing to supply essentials to them.

Hence, there was a need for opening a separate ration shop in the village, he said. To register their protest against the prevalence of untouchability, the Dalits would take out a pada yatra from the village on May 27 to Chennai.

They would present a memorandum to Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi seeking the arrest of V.A.T.Kalivaradhan, MLA, and his supporters who practised discrimination and who had broken open the seal (put up by the revenue officials and police to avert further clashes) of the temple to prove their hold over the shrine, under the provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities Act.

He said owning responsibility for the bitter episode, the MLA should resign or else the government must remove him from the post. Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S.Ramadoss, who was propounding well-meaning policies for the good of the people, including prohibition, should keep a check on the party functionaries from fuelling discrimination, Mr.Balasundaram said.

Genesis of trouble

Trouble erupted when Dalits attempted to garland the main deity of the temple on May 6 in connection with the annual car festival. It was opposed by those running the affairs of the temple.

This resulted in clashes and to quell the violence, the police lobbed teargas shells. In the melee, four police men sustained injuries. Following the incident, a peace committee meeting was held to pacify both sides.

However, on learning that the Dalits led by the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi had proposed to offer "pongal" to the deity on May 21, the revenue officials and the police sealed the temple a day in advance, on May 20, to avert any further trouble.

The sealing of the temple was not to the liking of those in charge of the temple affairs. Hence, on the evening of May 20 certain persons went in a procession and some of them acted as if in "possession or religious frenzy" and broke open the temple's seal.

In this connection, the police have booked cases against the MLA and 200 others under the Damage to Public Property Act.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail