Srivilliputhur clash between 2 Dalit communities

20 injured in clash between 2 Dalit communities

Srivilliputhur(TN) May 16 (PTI) Twenty persons were injured and some houses damaged in a clash between two dalit communities at a village over victory celebrations for a candidate in the April 13 assembly polls, police said.

Trouble started at nearby Pudupatti village yesterday when supporters of one group picked up an argument and beat up a worker of the rival group, making arrangements for victory celebrations.

They also allegedly attacked his colleagues with petrol bombs, stones and bottles. Supporters of both groups also reportedly ransacked and damaged houses and took away cash.

Sixteen persons were today arrested in connection with the clash, police said.

A strong police contingent has been posted in the village.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5163228

BSP leader held for 2008 clash at law college

May 2, 2011, 12.29am IST

CHENNAI: The police on Sunday arrested Bahujan Samaj Party state president K Armstrong, following a direction from the Supreme Court on Friday, for the November 2008 students' clash at the Dr Ambedkar Government Law College in Chennai.

Armstrong, who had contested the recently-held Assembly election from Kolathur, was arrested from a hotel in Purasaiwalkam on charges of instigatng violence and produced before a judicial magistrate in Saidapet. The court, however, asked the police to produce at a George Town Court on Monday morning.

A special team earlier had found him at the hotel after a day-long search. "Initially, he did not cooperate with us. Then, after we showed him the arrest warrant he relented," a senior police officer said.

The Madras high court had on Saturday granted anticipatory bail to advocate S Rajinikanth, another person mentioned in the Supreme Court order in the case relating to the students' clash at the Dr Ambedkar Government Law College.

Justice T Sudanthiram granted the relief to Rajinikanth at a special sitting at his residence. He said the advocate should furnish an own bond for Rs 10,000 with one surety and should appear before the police as and when required. Armstrong had also filed an advance bail petition, which was dismissed as withdrawn.

The anticipatory bail applications came in the wake of the Supreme Court on Friday directing the Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police to file an affidavit explaining why the accused mentioned in the charge sheet as "absconding" were not arrested.

On November 12, 2008, a group of students armed with deadly weapons attacked another group in full public view, leaving four persons seriously injured. An altercation over the printing of a pamphlet to mark the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations on October 30 had led to the clash, according to sources .

The students who were involved in the clash had also demanded the arrest of BSP leader Armstrong, who they alleged, had instigated the violence.

A village where dalits can't wear footwear or ride bikes

MADURAI: Villur, set in a typical agrarian backdrop with about 1,200 households was once a peaceful village that was until the dalits challenged the diktats of the upper caste' Thevars. 

For dalits of Villur, about 50km from Madurai and the scene of violence on Saturday night, buying a motorcycle was a sign of extreme luxury just few years back. But only after they managed to buy one they realized that the bigger challenge was riding it down the neatly laid Kaliamman street in the village that leads to their colony. 

When G Thangapandian (27), a dalit youth, decided to challenge the caste diktat that dalits should not ride motorcycles on Kaliamman street, it ended in a brutal attack on his house by a mob of over 500 persons, including women armed with broomsticks. 

"If I am alive now it is because of this grill gate," pointed out G Murugan, Thangapandian's brother. The gate was damaged in several places. "The mob tried to break open the gate with boulders, but left later on Saturday night," said Murugan, fear still evident on his face. 

The dalits, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and economic status of the more influentialThevars, obeyed the diktats they did not wear footwear and they did not ride bicycles or motorcycles on Kaliamman street. "We are served tea in different tumblers and we are not entertained in the barber shops in the village," said Murugan's father Guru. 

The village has been a witness to the worst forms of caste discrimination, as even schools have become a platform for such practices. "My non-dalit classmates would demand that I address them as Ayya.' If I call them by their names they would abuse me with filthy words and threaten me," said M Palani, who just completed his Plus-Two in the higher secondary school in the village. 

It all started about ten years back when the family of Thangapandian, who owns a seven-acre land beside a poclain vehicle, questioned the restrictions imposed on dalits. "His family was immediately ostracized," said Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front secretary K Samuel Raj. 

In fact, the ferocity of the attack by the non-dalits, when they surrounded the Villur police station when the Madurai rural superintendent of police Asra Garg was inside on Saturday night, shocked even police personnel. "I have not seen such violent mob behaviour. We managed to escape their attack only because we had fire arms," said a police official. Despite Garg opening fire in the air to disperse the mob, 12 of the total 14 people injured during the violence were police personnel. The SP's vehicle was also damaged. "We have arrested 50 persons so far and are in the lookout for 150 more," said Asra Garg. Police officials say that the caste discrimination has social, economical and political facets and needs to be dealt sensitively. "To start with we will begin with strict law enforcement," said a senior police official. 

"Police see caste discrimination as a law and order problem. But it goes beyond that. A detailed study should be done on caste discrimination and untouchability in Tamil Nadu. The government should launch a campaign to spread the message that untouchability is not only an offence, but also a sin,'' said A Kathir, executive director of Evidence, a NGO.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/A-village-where-dalits-cant-wear-footwear-or-ride-bikes/articleshow/8147427.cms

Asra Garg IPS addresses long-time caste issue after playing his role during elections

06 May 2011

Posted 06-May-2011 Vol 2 Issue 18 When a 400-strong mob came rushing towards the Villur Police Station armed with lethal weapons, and burning tyres, there were few options for Madurai (Rural) Superintendent of Police, Asra Garg. He had to protect himself and the lives of the three constables with him. Grabbing a .303 rifle in his hand, he fired a few rounds in the air, warning the mob to disperse. The sound of gunshots knocked the senses back into the hysteric crowd and it retreated under the cover of darkness 31-year-old Asra, a 2004 batch IPS officer, got nearly killed on the night of May 1 because he dared to challenge the status-quo in a village near Madurai, about 450 km from Chennai. Impeccable Police Service: Asra Garg has demonstrated time and again what effective policing means  At Villur, the upper caste Thevars don’t allow the Dalits to ride on motorbikes in their streets. A Dalit youth who had broken the rule was assaulted and his house attacked. Asra, who has been in the news for some of his bold actions against corrupt politicians and criminals, ordered action against the dominant community for the attack against the Dalit youth and five persons were arrested under various sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He told the Thevars clearly that untouchability was an offence and it won’t be tolerated. However, after the police left the village, the Thevars attacked the homes of Dalits. Hearing about the attack, Asra, who had just left the village returned, only to face the mob’s fury. Later, police arrested about 54 persons in connection with the violence. Asra, who was one of the officers appointed by the Election Commission during the run-up to the April 13 State Assembly elections to ensure conduct of ‘free and fair’ polls, had taken strict action against ruling party functionaries who tried to distribute money to voters. For this, he had earned the wrath of DMK strongman and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s elder son, M K Alagiri, who is based in Madurai. However, it was not the first time he had rubbed a powerful politician on the wrong side. During a by-poll to the Tiruchendur Assembly seat in 2009, he slapped a case against the ruling party’s candidate Anita Radhakrishnan for soliciting votes beyond the deadline for campaigning. He had also seized a car belonging to the candidate’s son for transporting huge stock of liquor bottles without proper license. Activists have welcomed Asra’s crackdown against the obnoxious practice of untouchability, which is rampant in southern districts, but rarely confronted in the manner that Asra did. “It is good the SP has admitted the existence of untouchability and has sternly warned those who practise it,” says A Kathir of Evidence, a Madurai based human rights outfit that has documented the different forms of discrimination the Dalits are subjected to in Tamil Nadu. “Untouchability cannot be tolerated,” Asra reiterated, and promised to take proactive measures to end the practice. That an IPS officer is willing to implement the law in letter and spirit is truly encouraging. http://www.theweekendleader.com/Heroism/474/Friend-of-Dalits.html

Police open fire in caste clash in Madurai district; three injured

Lathi wielding policemen moving around in the deserted streets of Villoor, near Madurai on Monday, after an incident where a Dalit youth was attacked by caste Hindus following which they were arrested. Photo: S. James

Three persons were seriously injured when police opened fire in a village in Kallupatti Taluk, about 40 km from Madurai following clashes between two communities, authorities said today.

Police said the clash in Villoor village, in which 100 people were arrested yesterday, ensued after people belonging to the dominant community had seized the two-wheeler of Thanga Pandian, a Dalit resident of the village who had rode through the street where members of the dominant community resided.

The members of the dominant community had banned the Dalits, living in the neighbouring street, from riding on two wheelers or wearing slippers while walking in their street, police said.

Five persons of the dominant community were arrested in connection with the seizure of Mr. Thanga Pandian’s vehicle.

However, even as the Madurai SP Asra Garg was holding peace talks at the police station with the local people belonging to both the communities, people belonging to dominant community pelted stones, demanding the release of the five arrested persons, injuring some policemen, officials said.

The cars of the SP and DSPs were also damaged in the stone pelting, they said.

When the two groups clashed again, the situation “went out of control” and the efforts of the police to quell the violence by lathi charge and deploying tear gas shells were in vain, they said.

The police subsequently opened fire, in which three were seriously injured and 15 others suffered minor injuries, they said. Hundred persons were also arrested, they said.

SP Asra Garg today warned that severe action would be taken against those committing atrocities against Dalits.

The situation is under control at Villoor village after police has been deployed, officials said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article1985710.ece

Five arrested for attacking dalit in Villoor

MADURAI: Five persons were arrested for allegedly attacking a dalit in Villoor village in Peraiyur on Sunday, police said. G Thangapandian was riding on his two-wheeler in front of the Kaliamman temple, a prohibited area for the dalits, when a group of non-dalits stopped his bike and assaulted him. His bike was also taken away. Based on a complaint filed by Thangapandian, the police arrested R Satheeshkumar (24), S Pratap Singh (24), G Balamurugan (24), R Karamadaiyan (50) and S Samayan (42), and booked them under the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) act. 

The issue was also brought to the notice of the superintendent of police Asra Garg on Sunday saying that untouchability was prevalent in Villoor village where about 1500 non-dalit families and 300 dalits families live. The SP, who made a surprise visit to the village, warned the non-dalits of stern action if they attacked dalits. The dalits told the SP that many restrictions were imposed on them. They were not allowed to walk with slippers in the non-dalit area of the village and also not allowed to sit on their vehicles while crossing the village temple. The SP assured them that he would take action against those who attack the dalits. EOM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Five-arrested-for-attacking-dalit-in-Villoor/articleshow/8137673.cms