At least 10 Dalit individuals in the Sokkadi village of Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district have been injured in an attack by a mob allegedly led by local AIADMK leaders including a panchayat leader and her husband. Tensions broke between the Vellala Gounder community (classified as Backward Class) and the Paraiyar community (classified as Scheduled Caste) on Sunday, October 29, after the latter raised concerns about ongoing stone polishing work at a Mariyamman temple near their residential area, built by the Gounders. Sokkadi Rajan, AIADMK’s Krishnagiri West Union secretary, Panchayat leader Kodila Ramalingam (AIADMK), and her husband Ramalingam allegedly used casteist slurs and led the mobs that pelted stones at the Dalits. Sokkadi Rajan and Ramalingam have been booked by the police under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, however, Kodila Ramalingam has not been named in the FIR.
The Dalits in the area, which houses more than 120 families, opposed the stone polishing citing that dust from the work caused health-related inconvenience to them. Irked by their repeated complaints, caste Hindus, along with the help of the local All India Anna Dravida Kazhagam (AIADMK) functionaries, allegedly pelted stones and vandalised the Dalit residential area during the early hours of Monday, October 30.
A Dalit resident from Sokkadi said that on October 29, some of their youths urged the Gounders to cover the stone polishing work site in order to prevent stone dust from percolating into their neighbourhood. “Following this, Sokkadi Rajan arrived at the residential area where he used casteist slurs and asked where Dalits get the audacity to question caste Hindus. Later, it escalated into an altercation, and following the tussle between the communities, 30 police personnel had been deployed in the village. Late at night, the Vellala Gounders gathered in huge numbers along with Sokkadi Rajan, Panchayat leader Kodila Ramalingam, and her husband Ramalingam, and started to pelt stones at the Dalits’ houses,” he recalled. He also added that things would not have escalated if Rajan had not been involved in this matter.
Those who were injured in the incident were admitted to the Krishnagiri Medical College Hospital for treatment, and the police booked 23 persons from both sides, among whom 13 persons were arrested.
Another Dalit resident from the village elaborated that the stone polishing work began three months ago and on various occasions, residents from the Dalit neighbourhood approached the Vellala Gounders, requesting to keep the work site covered so that dust would not spread inside the houses, pollute their drinking water, and food. “We have approached them at least five times in the last three months. But they did not consider the problems that we faced,” he said.
Talking to TNM, Dilli Babu, CPI(M) ex-MLA from Harur alleged that the police did not give any protection to the Dalits while things escalated. "It was surprising that it happened in the presence of police and now the police have booked the attackers as well as the victims," he noted. After the incident took place in the early hours of October 30, a Sub-Inspector rank officer summoned a peace committee meeting at 8 am. "How could people with injuries attend the meeting at 8 am?” he asked, adding that the police don’t have the authority to summon anyone for a peace committee meeting as it was supposed to be done by revenue officials.
Babu also alleged that Saroj Kumar Thakur, Superintendent of Police, visited the place but did not take any constructive measures to diffuse the tension. As the peace committee meeting did not see attendance from both sides, the revenue department will likely issue a new date for a meeting.
Based on the complaints received from both sides, cases have been registered against both the Gounders and the Dalit individuals at the KPR Dam police station. TNM reached out to Saroj Kumar Thakur, but there was no response.