Tricolour hoisting: Dalit panchayat prezs dread upper cast reprisal
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Chennai: After cheerfully hoisting the national flag for the first time during Independence day celebrations, Dalit panchayat presidents in Tamil Nadu dread reprisal from upper castes, IANS reported.
Senthakudi panchayat President M Tamilarasan, a Dalit, said he was proud to hoist the tricolour on August 15, which he couldn't do in the past two years, though he was president.
But he tells IANS a day after, "It was a moment of glory for the scheduled caste people of the state when I was able to hoist the Tri-colour, but now I fear that we will be ostracised by the caste people. We are also fearing reprisal as this has not gone down well with many caste people."
Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) member P Mahadevan, also the president of Myilai in Chengalpattu district, said,
While speaking to media persons, P. Mahadevan of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF), who is also the president of "This was a historical moment, that I was able to hoist the flag. During Republic Day functions, there were some issues with caste people creating problems. With the police around, this time, there were no issues, and I could hoist the flag smoothly."
Certain high caste people act against the Dalit panchayat presidents by turning tribal people against the Dalit community. , Dalit woman president, Viji, was opposed by the tribal members of the panchayat, and she was not allowed to distribute relief materials to tribal community members during floods.
A Cuddalore district panchayat president told IANS, "It is not clear whether the society will accept me after hoisting the flag. We are expecting a social boycott as well as ostracism from social events in the panchayat. However, I am really proud and happy at the initiative taken by the police and officials who made it sure that the Dalit panchayat presidents hoist the Tri-colour."
Worried about further life in the society, many Dalit panchayat presidents in the states are feeling that an initiative is needed to conduct regular conversations between Dalit community members and upper caste Hindus to put an end to the high tension job.