Left parties, reeling from electoral setbacks in Kerala and nationwide but bolstered by alliance with the DMK, are facing public backlash over their shift towards facilitating inter-caste marriages amidst waning support for traditional ideological platforms such as trade union activities and farmers’ rights.
In Tirunelveli, the CPM party office was vandalised on June 14 allegedly by members of a dominant caste community. This incident occurred following the CPM’s involvement in arranging an inter-caste marriage between a girl from the dominant caste and a youth from the Scheduled Caste. Critics have pointed out that the party appears to be increasingly involved in facilitating marriages, marking a departure from its conventional political activities.
Dominant caste people vandalising Tirunelveli CPM party office and attacking functionaries for helping inter-caste marriage https://t.co/OUT6RHfJVP pic.twitter.com/AeyEe2GtTH
— Thinakaran Rajamani (@thinak_) June 14, 2024
Madan Kumar (28) from Nambikottai and Udhya Datchayeeni (23) have been in a relationship for the past six years and desired to marry despite opposition from the girl’s family, who belong to a dominant community. Both individuals hail from different communities. Seeking support from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the couple approached party officials who, without other political or trade union duties at hand, organized their marriage ceremony at the party office premises on June 13.
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Click Link: https://t.co/5r0UhYUEfn#Newstamil24x7 | #Nellai | #intercastmarriage | #protest | #CPM | #communistparty pic.twitter.com/3BZTWBhjq3
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Upon learning of their daughter’s marriage to a boy from another community, the girl’s parents and more than 30 relatives rushed to the CPM office to retrieve her. A verbal altercation and chaos erupted involving CPM members, the groom’s family, and the bride herself. Despite her parents’ objections, the girl adamantly refused to leave with them. This led to heated arguments and clashes between the two sides, as the parents questioned the party’s authority to conduct the marriage without their consent. Despite efforts by CPM officials to mediate, tensions remained unresolved, escalating into confrontations between the parties involved.
In a burst of anger, the girl’s family reportedly damaged chairs, tables, doors, and other movable and immovable property at the CPM office. During the altercation, AISF district secretary Arul and CPM district committee member Pazhani, along with four others, sustained injuries.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, police promptly arrived at the scene to calm the situation and attended to the injured individuals, transporting them to the hospital for treatment. In light of the escalating tensions, additional police forces were deployed to prevent any further untoward incidents. City Police Deputy Commissioner Adharsh Pachora personally visited the site to assess the situation.
CPM state secretary K. Balakrishnan has strongly condemned the attack on their office following their assistance to an inter-caste couple who sought refuge there. Balakrishnan clarified that the couple, Madan Kumar (28) and Udhya Datchayeeni (23), approached their office seeking help after facing opposition from the girl’s family due to their different community backgrounds. They had married on June 13 and intended to register their marriage at the Sub Registrar’s office.
The situation escalated when a group of around 25 people, led by Pandal Raja and Jayakumar, allegedly vandalized the CPM office in Vinobha Nagar. They reportedly damaged property including a fridge, glass doors, furniture, and regular doors. During the incident, CPM members Arul Raj and Murugan were injured while attempting to intervene.
Balakrishnan urged the police to take stringent action against the perpetrators and emphasized the need for police protection for the newly married couple. He expressed concern over the attack, highlighting the CPM’s role in supporting the couple’s decision and condemning any form of violence against them.
Following the incident, police have registered a case and arrested ten individuals involved in the vandalism.
Tirunelveli has recently seen a rise in incidents involving honour killings and caste conflicts between scheduled caste (Dalits) and dominant castes. Despite the Dravidian model government’s claims of promoting social justice and a casteless society, there has been an alarming increase in attacks targeting SC and ST communities. Instances of caste discrimination in public places, hotels, and local bodies persist, where these communities are often denied equal rights.
