Dalit men made to bow before dominant caste members over burial ground access in Tamil Nadu

Erode: Two Dalit men in Perumpalli village near Erode district in Tamil Nadu were allegedly forced to prostrate before members of a dominant caste following a dispute over access to a common burial ground, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on October 5, when the body of a 90-year-old man was being taken to the common burial ground after the separate burial ground used by Dalits in Thingalur, about four kilometres away, ran out of space.

Dalits in the village had been using the Thingalur burial ground after being denied access to the common ground by dominant caste members.

When the funeral procession reached the common burial ground, it was allegedly blocked, leading to a tense confrontation.

During the argument, members of the dominant community, allegedly led by M. Rithuvarman, threatened the Dalits with an economic boycott. They reportedly warned that the Dalits would be denied employment opportunities in the locality if they insisted on using the burial ground.

Fearing social and economic repercussions, two Dalit men allegedly fell at the feet of the dominant caste members and pleaded for permission to conduct the burial.

The burial was later completed under police protection and the supervision of Revenue Department officials.

Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with the incident.