Could This Happen in Karuna’s Taminadu does It Requires Brinda Karat to Expose?
It is unbelievable that it could happen in Karuna’s Tamilnadu. Yes, it is real. Brinda Karat has travelled all along from Kolkatta to expose the atrocities against the Dalits committed in Dravidian Tamilnadu. She exposed that Madurai’s wall of shame still exist and Dalits are subjected to same old discrimination.
It all started when the reality check made by CPM leader Brinda Karat on Saturday whether the wall of Shame that divided the Dalits and others that was brought down in 2008 has vanished at the village in Madurai. To her surprise, things seem to have got worse now. Dalits can’t walk on the road meant for upper castes, they have a separate ration shop and a separate school for their children.
A brief detention by police did not deter CPM leader Brinda Karat to walk into the village in Madurai. to find out that the Dalit segregation has deepened further. “The Tamil Nadu government has given legal sanction to untouchability through this Dalit segregation,” said Brinda Karat.
It is unbelievable that it could happen in Tamilnadu and people are unaware of it. Sometimes back Times of India carried a similar story of Dalits’ plight in a village in UP and the details of which I brought out in an article entitled ” In the land of Mayawathi Dalits are untouchable” published in the same MSN. Contribute dated 6 Aug 2009.
According to the survey conducted by TOI in 8 states in the country, untouchability is still in vogue in many parts of the country. TOI carried a full story under caption “Untouchability still alive in India – Dalits have little access to Temples, Kids made to sit separately in schools” in UP dated 6.8.2009 p.10 Chennai edition.
May be North India was prone to more atrocities against the Dalits including segregation. South was really alien to these atrocities. May be practices carried on in some villages in South also. But not to the extent of creating a wall of shame that was found in a village in Madurai.
When Berlin wall could come down, why not the wall of shame in Madurai. The broader question is, should it take Brinda to point such atrocities? Why not Karuna’s Govt. took steps to stop it in the first instance. It’s a Dravidian lan which believed in equality among all classes of people. When DMK is ruling the State and it is happening during the period of their rule, it is something unbelievable for a man of honour.
It may be recalled that some years back people India was surprised hear that people of Laxmipuram in Tamilnadu belonging to Dalit community embraced Islam unable to tolerate the atrocities of the upper caste. It was not the case of forcible conversion. It was a case of spontaneous effort taken by the whole village of Laxmipuram. Every effort was made to bring them back to the older fold by safron brigade as Laximipuram hogged the limelight throughout the country but failed.
It is not here to suggest that the people in the village where wall of shame would follow Laxmipuram but it is only to draw the attention of the authorities how the people are driven to take the extreme steps to counter the atrocities.
Now that Brinda Karat has brought the matter to the fore, Govt. of Tamilnadu would act fast to bring down the wall of shame at least now. Let there be equality with discrimination in Tamilnadu, which is haven for communal harmony. Such aberration should not spoil the fair name of the state. Jai Hind.
