A dalit panchayat president in Theni district has been provided round-the-clock police protection after he was attacked by caste Hindus.
K. Arivalagan, 40-year-old president of Kadamalaikundu panchayat in Theni, said that a caste Hindu group threatened to kill him alleging that he had helped a dalit boy kidnap and elope with a caste Hindu girl from the village. “In reality, I did not even know the couple.
The caste Hindus group has harassed me severely just because the boy was a dalit from my village,” he said in his petition.
Two police personnel have been protecting Arivalagan for the last 10 days due to the threat from the caste Hindus, said Kadamalaikundu police. “They beat me with slippers.
They even attacked my mother Chinnathai, 65. I feel insecure and have approached the CM’s cell for justice,” said Arivalagan to DC.
Policemen T. Muthiah and K. Pandiaraj said they would protect Arivalagan till the lovers are traced and the case was solved. Kadamalaikundu inspector Imanuvel Rajkumar said the search for the lovers was on.
“The girl’s family has complained that their daughter was kidnapped by the boy. We will find them and conduct an inquiry to know whether she was really kidnapped and whether Arivalagan helped the boy.
At the same time, we need to protect Arivalagan as he has already been attacked by the caste Hindus,” he said.
Director A. Kathir of a dalit rights NGO, Evidence, and his team helped Arivalagan file the complaint. “Arivalagan is unable to perform his duties as a panchayat president.
Along with him, 20 other dalit families have been forced to vacate the village to protect themselves from the caste Hindus,” said Kathir.