The Krishnagiri police in Tamil Nadu conducted the funeral procession of a Dalit woman on Friday, June 30, after her family members were denied the right of way on a Panchayat road by dominant caste Vanniyars in Krishnampalayam village near Shoolagiri. Lakshmamma (65) an Arunthathiyar (Scheduled Caste) resident of Keezhatheru, Shoolagiri, passed away on June 29 and her body was to be buried in her ancestral village of Krishnampalayam. The funeral procession was stopped by the Vanniyars (Most Backward Class) and farm owners from Krishnampalayam, as the path to the burial ground abuts farmlands and the procession would pass through agricultural lands.
The agitated Dalit family protested by placing Lakshmamma's mortal remains on the Berigai-Shoolagiri road of the Hosur-Krishnagiri highway. More than 100 Dalits staged a dharna demanding a path to the burial ground. They also demanded patta for the burial ground, which has allegedly been partially encroached by the Vanniyar residents.
Even though Shoolagiri tahsildar Panneerselvi held a peace talk with the protesters, it failed to defuse the tension. Later, Saroj Kumar Thakur, Superintendent of Police of Krishnagiri, held a discussion with residents. Based on his order, Krishnagiri police carried Lakshmamma's body to the burial ground and her last rites were conducted in the presence of police personnel.
Talking to TNM, Dalit resident Lakshmanan said that this is not the first time that the community has conducted someone’s last rites in the presence of the police. Lakshmanan said that the traditional path to the burial ground near Chinnar Dam Road was disrupted after the land through which it passed was sold to a member of the Chettiyar community (Other Backward Class). “The Chettiyar man who bought the land refused to let us use the traditional path. So we demanded that revenue officials give us an alternative route to access the burial ground. They directed us to the Panchayat road that runs across the village where Vanniyars live. Last time, when one resident from Keezhatheru died, we tried to use that road, but they opposed us. That time too, it was with police presence that we buried the body. This is being repeated and dignified last rituals are becoming a troubling question for us,” he said.
According to Lakshmanan, Vanniyars make up 50 households in Krishnampalayam, while Arundhathiyars live in 150 households. “During the protest, we demanded that the government open up our traditional path and give patta to our burial ground that is spread across 4 acres. The government only gave patta to 36 cents and wrote in the records that we have been using this burial ground only for the past 40 years. But we have actually been using it for the last three generations. Meanwhile, those who refused to let us use the path encroached on our burial ground. No one took any action on this, which resulted in such a humiliating situation,” Lakshmanan further added.
Shoolagiri tahsildar Panneerselvi said that no resident opposed the Dalits usage of the Panchayat road. She refused to comment further on the issue. TNM tried to reach the Shoolagiri police station multiple times to know whether a case was registered against those who prevented the Dalits from using the path, but has yet to receive a response. This copy will be updated if and once we receive a response.