The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tension in Eraiyur again

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Sunday, Mar 23, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tension in Eraiyur again

Special Correspondent

VILLUPURAM: Tension gripped Eraiyur again on Saturday over a funeral procession.

Majority caste Christians objected to taking out the funeral procession of a Dalit Christian who died of ill health on Saturday, through the common path. However, the Dalit Christians stuck to their stand.

Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalan told The Hindu that the Dalit Christians should be allowed to go through the common path and till they got the rights the body would be kept there for any number of days.

Mr. Thirumavalan put the onus of implementing the resolutions passed by the Archdiocese of Puducherry and Cuddalore on the State Government. The Dalit Christians were firm in their resolve and would not budge.

Anticipating trouble, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, G.K. Vanniabperumal and the Superintendent of Police, A. Amalraj have deployed 300-strong police force at Eraiyur.

The Archbishop Anandarayar convened a meeting of priests and passed a resolution to abolish the discriminatory practices on caste basis. The Archdiocese had brought all castes within the same bracket as “Christian faithful” and allowed free access to Dalit Christians to the common path and promised common cemetery wherever possible. These directives were to be implemented uniformly in all churches under the Archdiocese.

However, the majority Christians at Eraiyur had contended that since the resolutions were passed without taking them into confidence, these were not agreeable to them.

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