Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Wall of shame

This refers to the editorial “Pulling down the wall of shame” (May 10). The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has proved yet again that he is a champion of social justice. His government’s decision to pull down a section of the 600-metre wall that separated Dalits from caste Hindus in the Uthapuram village in Madurai is bold and humane.

The invisible wall that exists in the hearts and minds of the caste Hindus of the village, too, needs to be blown apart. But it is an arduous task. The people should be educated on the virtues of equality, harmony and coexistence.

B.S. Selvakumar,

Vellore

The Uthapuram wall was a symbol of oppression, social boycott and shame. But breaking a part of the wall is not the solution. The dream of achieving a casteless society can be realised only when walls existing in the minds of the people — which are unfortunately more puissant than concrete walls — are broken. The government should take bold initiatives in such villages to enable people of all castes to participate in and contribute to the development of the village and society.

Himanshu Jain,

Noida

The antipathy of caste Hindus towards Dalits in our villages is deep rooted and needs to be eradicated. Even today, in many of our villages, Dalits are forced to walk barefoot in scorching heat because they are not allowed to use footwear. The two-tumbler system is also prevalent, though it is against the law.

T. Dhanapal,

Chennai

While the demolition of a part of the wall deserves praise, what is astonishing is the attitude of the local authorities for nearly two decades. The felling of one wall will not change much for Dalits because many more concrete walls continue to exist in the minds of the people.

Mrinalini Singh,

New Delhi

Courage is the hallmark of true journalism and The Hindu showed courage in exposing the oppression against Dalits in Uthapuram. The wall which was built to separate Dalits from caste Hindus was not just a structure of stone but an emotional and mental barrier. Uthapuram is just another example of the continuous discrimination against Dalits. In my own hometown, there have been several instances of collective discrimination against Dalits to stop them from entering the social mainstream.

V.P. Sreenivasan,

Bangalore

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