Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 31, 2008
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Monday, Mar 31, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Tamil Nadu
VILLUPURAM: The closure of St. Rosary Church at Eraiyur, near Ulundurpet, by the majority Christians to protest the decision of the Archdiocese to confer equal rights on the Dalits has hampered funeral services. The church remains shut since March 25. Though the funeral procession of a Dalit Christian went through the common path on Sunday, the body had to be kept outside the church for the last rites. In the past week, two more deaths occurred , but the bodies were taken straight to the cemetery without the rituals at the church. An undercurrent of tension runs through the village, and the constant presence of the police has helped to keep the situation under control. The majority Christians have resented the directive of the Archdiocese that the Dalit Christians be given equal rights in accessing the common path and other facilities such as ‘thoomba’ (the body carrier) and the cemetery. In the name of upholding justice, they say, the Archdiocese has overlooked their concerns, so they have decided to disregard the directives and, in protest, have closed the church and suspended the regular services. Further, the death of two persons of their clan in the police firing, too, has annoyed them. The priests had held talks with the majority Christians, but in vain. The boycott of the Palm Sunday services by the Dalits had forced the priests into a huddle with Archbishop A. Anandarayar, who came out with the directives. Meanwhile, the Social Awareness Society for Youths, a voluntary organisation, which conducted a study, has concluded that ever since the Archdiocese had issued the directives, social boycott against the Dalits continue. Director V.A. Ramesh Nathan said that after the brutal attacks on their property on March 9, the Dalits were gripped by fear. The organisation has appealed to the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to direct the State to impose a collective fine under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities) Act. It would also prevail upon the Centre to enforce the Act without bias, he said.
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