Adhanur village in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district witnessed a clash when two men from the Vanniyar community started driving their bike in a rash manner through the Meenakshi Amman Kovil Street, a locality mainly occupied by people from the Adi Dravidar community.
The incident took place on Thursday evening. According to the police, 13 persons, including six women and a child, have been injured in the clash.
In a video that is being circulated on social media, scores of men and women in the village can be seen clashing with each other, using sticks and hurling abuses at each other. While the Vanniyar community in Tamil Nadu are classified as Most Backward Caste (MBC), people from the Adi Dravidar community belong to the Scheduled Caste category (SC).
According to Veera Sekhar, a member of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an anti-caste party, the two men, identified as Thamilasaran and Silambarasan, were in an inebriated state at the time of the incident. They allegedly crossed the Meenakshi Amman Kovil Street to reach the TASMAC shops that had opened after over a month on Thursday.
While returning from the TASMAC shop, the two men allegedly drove rashly, which prompted Andrews, a resident of Meenakshi Amman Kovil Street, to question them.
Angered, the men allegedly started shouting casteist slurs and pelted stones at the people in the street, including at women. The two men also allegedly attacked women with sticks. Soon, more people from the Vanniyar community, who live in the same village, reportedly joined and began attacking the Dalit residents.
Speaking to TNM, Sathish, a representative of the Adi Dravidar community, said that Andrews sustained an injury to his head when the men pelted a stone at him.
“Andrews started bleeding profusely from the ears and we all rushed him to the nearby Government Hospital. The doctors treated Andrews and sent him home. The women have blood clots in their hands,” he alleged.
According to Veera Sekhar, this is not the first time the two communities have clashed with each other. However, unlike previous incidents, he said they will take legal recourse.
“We have come to the Kedar police station to file a complaint. The Deputy Superintendent of Police said he will intervene in the matter and help us solve this. This time, we have decided not to agree for a compromise and hence, we will deal with this through legal means,” Veera told TNM.
Stating that an FIR has not yet been filed, Kedar police station Inspector Mahalingam said, “We are awaiting instructions from Gingee DSP K Neethiraj. After that, both the sides will be heard and the matter will be resolved.”