Two-tumbler system prevailing in 33 panchayats in Salem, Erode districts: study

R. Ilangovan

SALEM: The practice of keeping two tumblers — one for dalits and another for others in tea shops — is persistently prevailing in 33 reserved village panchayats in Salem and Erode districts.

In 40 reserved panchayats, dalits are banned from entering temples. In 48 panchayats, they are being forced to beat tom-tom to announce the death of caste Hindus and remove the carcass of dead animals. Discrimination is noticed in Primary and Sub Health Centres, fair price shops and schools. Women are prevented from using sanitary complexes in 11 panchayats and in few other panchayats hair dressers refuse to patronise dalit customers.

These are not mere studies on this social issue. They are bold declarations not by individuals but by a group of dalit presidents of these reserved village panchayats.

They have openly admitted to the prevalence of these acts of caste-based discrimination in writing in affidavit formats. Sadly they are also the victims of these despicable acts of prejudice.

These startling endorsements of the dalit presidents on the prevalence of various forms of untouchability in their reserved village panchayats in Salem and Erode districts have come to the fore during a study carried out by a social organisation ‘Evidence,´ which also recently exposed similar issues in Madurai and Sivaganga districts.

A dalit woman president of the Kandikattu Valasu in Erode district, V. R. Eswari, in her signed affidavit, has declared that a caste Hindu adopts two tumbler system in his tea shop.

Marappan, a dalit president of Uthandiyur, also in Erode, in his written statement, claims that dalits in his village would never be permitted to sit in town buses.

In Salem district, Vellerivelli panchayat president S. Kannan, also a dalit, says that the tea served in plastic cups to him and other dalits would be of sub standard quality. “We will not be permitted to sit on the benches to drink tea,’ he claims. He even names the owners of these tea shops in his affidavit form.
Panel sought

The study insists that the Government should immediately form a committee comprising of independent members to probe these claims.

These village panchayats should also be declared as ‘prone to untouchability,´ they demand. Local Administration Minister should convene a meeting of ‘Dalit Presidents´ to hear their grievances.

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu