The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : A milestone

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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

A milestone

The demolition of a section of the wall that separated a Dalit colony from caste Hindus at Uthapuram village in Madurai has brought happiness and relief to all those who believe in equal rights for all. Credit goes to The Hindu, the Tamil Nadu government, political parties, rights activists, and many others who joined hands for the noble cause. The demolition should be recorded in the social history of Tamil Nadu.

At the same time, the action of the caste Hindus who vacated their houses and went away to a hill as a mark of protest is outrageous. The lesson for us is: we cannot eliminate untouchability by political will alone. We need to bring about a change in the mindset of caste Hindus.

S. Xavier,

Tiruchi

* * *

No civilised society can accept any barrier that separates people on the basis of the caste tag attached to them at the time of birth. That the wall went unnoticed by politicians and the people till The Hindu exposed it is surprising.

The government deserves praise for bringing down a section of the wall, but the action is not enough. The entire wall should be removed. Otherwise, temporary blocks can be constructed whenever there are tensions. The caste Hindus who left the village to protest the demolition should be educated on the Constitution which gives all its citizens the fundamental right to equality.

N. Jayaraj,

Chennai

* * *

The demolition of a part of the Uthapuram wall which denied Dalits access to areas of common usage is symbolic of eliminating caste discrimination. The Hindu has proved that the pen is mightier than an electrified wall.

Siva. Veera. Vietnam,

New Delhi

* * *

The dividing wall brought shame to Tamil Nadu and India, where human values are taught and practised. Whatever the reasons for building the wall — even if it was done with the consent of people belonging to all castes — it violated the fundamental rights of a section of people.

S. Natarajan,

Kumbakonam

* * *

The news of the demolition of a section of the dividing wall is welcome. The need of the hour is the demolition of other such walls — physical and mental — which are the causes of discrimination. The Hindu deserves special congratulations on initiating the epoch-making move.

B. Suresh Kumar,

Coimbatore

* * *

The swift and timely action taken by the State government is heartening and highly laudable. By removing a part of the two-decade-old wall, Chief Minster M. Karunanidhi has initiated a corrective step to bring about amity and peace between Dalits and caste Hindus. The Hindu deserves accolades for playing a pivotal role. We cannot bring about a change in the social order unless we change the hearts of the people. It was saddening to read that caste Hindus went away from their village to protest the demolition.

K. Ramachandran,

Madurai

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