One village, two roads: A separate road worth Rs 50 lakh was built to keep Dalits away from the main road. Dalit families said, “We want equal rights, not a separate road.”
While the administration is calling it a “public welfare” move, the Adi Dravidar families allege that it is a deliberate conspiracy to permanently keep them away from the main public road.
Published on: Sep 22, 2025, 11:50 am
Tiruvannamalai: A new road construction in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district has sparked controversy. While the administration is calling it a development initiative, Scheduled Caste (SC) residents see it as a new wall perpetuating discrimination and untouchability.
The case is from Mothakkal village in the Thandarampattu taluk, where Collector K. Tharpagaraj announced the construction of a new cement road at a cost of ₹50 lakh on September 18. The road is being built on private land where there is currently a dirt road.
According to The New Indian Express , this dirt path is used by Scheduled Caste villagers to carry bodies to cremation grounds when someone from their community dies. The collector also praised the landowners from the Vanniyar community for donating the land for “public welfare.”
However, Scheduled Caste residents say they were never demanding a new, separate road. They were simply demanding the right to use the village’s main public road, Murugan Koil Street, which is used by everyone else in the village.
Adi Dravidar families said they had petitioned the collector for a shared public road, not a separate path. Expressing their anguish, one resident said, “This move further reinforces the notion that people from our community don’t have equal rights in the village.”
Caste discrimination runs deep in Mothakkal village, where around 200 Adi Dravidian families have been forced to use an alternative dirt path to carry bodies to the crematorium for decades.
Arvind*, a resident of the village, says, “Our people are afraid to use the main road. Two weeks ago, when a person died and we tried to use that route, the police and revenue officials discouraged us, saying why create unnecessary issues when an alternative route already exists.”
Residents say an atmosphere of fear has long been created by upper caste villagers, leaving many Dalit families wondering if they will ever be able to safely transport the bodies of their loved ones along the main public road.
Following several instances of tension during attempts to use the public road, G. Muniappan, a resident of the village, filed a writ of mandamus in the Madras High Court in December 2024, seeking police protection for Scheduled Caste residents.
In April 2025, the court directed that people could approach the police and they would provide all necessary assistance. However, four months later, residents allege they are still not allowed to use the common path. “When we ask for police protection, the police themselves are afraid of causing problems,” says Arvind*. “What can we do?”
“This new road may be useful for farmers from the Vanniyar community to bring their tractors, but it is of no use to us,” said Mayan*, another resident.
Vettri Sangamithra, a VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) leader from Tiruvannamalai, described the new road as a “road of untouchability.” She alleged that it was a deliberate conspiracy to keep Scheduled Caste families off the public road. “Even though it’s officially called a public road, only people from the SC community will use it. People from the Adi Dravidar caste will not use it,” she said.
Collector Tharpagaraj has responded to these allegations. He refuted all claims, saying, “Anyone can use both roads—the existing public road and the upcoming new road. The unpaved road becomes very bad during the rainy season. It becomes difficult for people to walk, let alone drive vehicles, much less transport bodies. The new road is being built with this in mind. Work has begun and will be completed in a few days.”
(*Names have been changed to protect identities)
