In Vidathilampatti, a small village within the Manapparai municipality, Elango (42) and Rasathi E (29) relocated with their six-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, becoming one of the only two Scheduled Caste families in the area. Their lives took a dark turn when they faced persistent and deliberate harassment by another resident, Vadivel, and his family. The Elango family claimed that Vadivel’s actions escalated from his dogs chasing their son to a disturbing incident where Vadivel’s 12-year-old son poured urine onto their child. Furthermore, Rasathi faced physical assault and caste-based slurs. The situation reached a breaking point when Alagumani, Vadivel’s wife, assaulted Rasathi with a water pipe and kicked her in the stomach, resulting in Rasathi’s hospitalisation. Despite this horrifying ordeal, the local police failed to take appropriate action.
#Dalit family shifts to Village in Trichy ,#Tamilnadu and becomes just one of the two SC households in a dominant caste neighbourhood . Dominant caste neighbours from the OBC oorali Gounder community uses caste slurs and attacks the family . The woman is kicked in the stomach and… https://t.co/4HRSJPVPJg pic.twitter.com/n1Hcq9I3Rf
— Shalin Maria Lawrence (@TheBluePen25) October 14, 2023
The Elango family’s ordeal did not end with Rasathi’s assault. On the same day they met with the police to seek help, their house was attacked. Stones were hurled at their home, forcing the family to relocate to a relative’s residence, 15 km away, out of fear for their safety. This frightening turn of events did little to spur the local authorities into action. Elango reported that an official from the Manapparai police station suggested settling the matter with Vadivel’s family, a proposal Vadivel vehemently denied.
Despite the ordeal faced by Elango’s family, the incident failed to garner any significant media or political attention. The silence is disheartening, especially when contrasting it with similar cases from other states like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Notably, these cases led to widespread outrage, prompting political action and nationwide debates in the media.
Following this, Elango filed a complaint with the Manapparai police which did not register FIR, The aggrieved family met with SP Varun Kumar on 11 October 2023, requesting appropriate action. On the same day, stones were hurled at their house when they were indoors. Elango family brought it to the police knowledge, who arrived at the scene, took photographs. Even after this the police made any formal FIR. Out of fear for their safety, the family relocated to a relative’s residence 15 km away. Elango said “an official from Manapparai station called us, suggesting we settle the matter with Vadivel’s family”, while Vadivel reportedly refuted the accusations.
Elango’s neighbour, Tamizselvi said that stones were indeed thrown at their residence but could not know the persons. Ranjith Kumar, the Village Administrative Officer for Sevalur panchayat, said that he had not received any such complaint from either party and agreed to investigate.
‘Christian Dalit’ activist Shalin Maria Lawrence brought attention to this incident through her X post, stating, “This is the state of Dalit women and children in the state while Ms. Kanimozhi Karunaanidhi is successfully conducting the women’s rights conference today. A woman for them does not include the Dalit women. That’s the sad reality.”
#Dalit family shifts to Village in Trichy ,#Tamilnadu and becomes just one of the two SC households in a dominant caste neighbourhood . Dominant caste neighbours from the OBC oorali Gounder community uses caste slurs and attacks the family . The woman is kicked in the stomach and… https://t.co/4HRSJPVPJg pic.twitter.com/n1Hcq9I3Rf
— Shalin Maria Lawrence (@TheBluePen25) October 14, 2023
Prominent ‘Christian Dalit’ activist Shalin Maria Lawrence brought attention to this incident through a social media post, highlighting the plight of Dalit women and children in Tamil Nadu. She pointed out that while conferences on women’s rights are held, they often overlook the struggles of Dalit women. The incident raises questions about the true state of women’s rights in the state.
The cases of caste-based violence in Tamil Nadu, particularly the ordeal faced by Elango’s family, are deeply distressing. Despite the family’s pleas for justice, the local police failed to take action, and their distressing situation received minimal attention from media and politicians. This silence is in stark contrast to similar incidents in other states, leaving a lingering question about the urgency of addressing caste-based violence and discrimination in Tamil Nadu. The need for justice and support for Scheduled Caste families in the state remains pressing.
