In this Tamil Nadu village, Dalits and fishermen clash over cremation grounds; learn about the reason behind the conflict.

The 500-strong Adi Dravidar community of Periya Kottakuppam owns a cremation ground on the seashore, near Nadukuppam village, that is unfenced. A few years ago, fishermen began encroaching on the cremation ground to park their boats.

Published on: June 10, 2026,

Villupuram—A dispute over cremation ground between the Dalit community and fishermen in Nadukuppam and Periyakottakuppam villages, located in the Kottakuppam area of ​​Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, has been escalating for the past two to three days, with the tense situation turning violent. Although the dispute between the two communities has been ongoing for many years, the recent death of a 76-year-old man brought tensions to a head. 

Bhoomilingam, a 76-year-old Dalit elder, died on Friday, June 5th. When his family and neighbors arrived at the community burial ground in Nadukuppam on June 6th for the funeral, local fishermen stopped them. The fishermen attacked the Dalits with stones and sticks, injuring several people. More than 900 police officers were deployed to control the situation. Some Dalit homes and the policemen present there were also hit. At least eight people were injured in the attack.

Following the attack, the Dalit community blocked the East Coast Road (ECR) by placing the body there, demanding action against the attackers and a permanent solution to the cremation ground dispute.

Traffic on the main road was halted for two hours. Villupuram Range DIG A. Arularasu and revenue officials brought the situation under control after negotiations. Bhoomilingam’s last rites were subsequently performed at the same cremation ground.

encroachment at the root of the dispute

Periya Kottakuppam is home to over 500 Adi Dravidian families. The community has an unfenced cremation ground on the seashore, near the Nadukuppam fishing village. A few years ago, fishermen began encroaching on the cremation ground to park their boats.

After the district administration took action against the encroachers, but their appeals yielded no results, Dalit residents approached the Madras High Court. In August 2025, the court ordered the relevant authorities to remove the boats from the cremation ground.

Fishermen are now protesting the removal of their boats from the cremation ground and even held a protest in April. Amidst this atmosphere, Bhoomilingam, a resident of the Dalit settlement, died on the night of June 5th.

On June 6, relatives and neighbors took the body to the Nadukuppam crematorium for the last rites. However, local fishermen protested and attacked the SC community members with stones and sticks.

Later, members of the Dalit community carried the body on a bier a few hundred meters to the ECR and blocked the road. They demanded action against those involved in the attack and a permanent solution to the dispute.

After two hours of traffic disruption on the main road, police and revenue officials, led by Villupuram Range DIG A. Arularasu, negotiated with the protesters. The crowd dispersed, and Bhoomilingam’s last rites were performed at the same crematorium.

Fisherwomen protested strongly, saying, ” We also need space for our boats.”

In the latest development, on Monday and Tuesday, the administration decided to measure and demarcate the disputed 43 cents of land and ordered the removal of fishermen’s boats parked there. When officials arrived on June 9th to measure the land, hundreds of fishermen staged a massive protest. They tied ropes around their necks and entered the sea to protest. 

Fisherwomen say removing the boats will affect their livelihoods. Minor clashes broke out when police intervened.

Revenue officials, under police protection, later surveyed the disputed area and began the process of removing the boats. The situation is currently under control, and a heavy police presence remains in the area.

Tamil Nadu Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu met with the affected people and inspected the land on Sunday. He acknowledged that the 43-cent cremation ground had been encroached upon. The minister assured that steps would be taken to restore it.

The administration called a peace conference at the district collectorate on Monday, involving all parties. A heavy police presence is currently deployed in the area, and the situation is under control. However, the issue of land demarcation and the removal of boats remains sensitive. The administration says a solution will be found, taking into account the concerns of both communities.