Dalit sanitation workers allege caste abuse by Melpathi panchayat president in TN
The four workers – Muniyammal, K Athilakshmi, S Nagaraj, and P Govindaraj – collect household waste in the village.
VILLUPURAM: The Tamil Nadu government has directed the Villupuram SP to inquire into allegations of caste-based discrimination against four Dalit sanitation workers in Melpathi village. The directive from the deputy secretary (Home Department) follows a petition submitted to the chief minister’s special cell.
G Muniyammal (47), one of the workers, alleged that she and three others were forced to clean human faeces with bare hands and subjected to repeated caste-based abuse by Melpathi panchayat president R Manivel and a few Caste Hindu members. They also accused local police officers of coercing the workers into withdrawing the complaint.
The four workers – Muniyammal, K Athilakshmi, S Nagaraj, and P Govindaraj – collect household waste in the village. Following the attack on a Dalit family by the caste Hindus allegedly for entering the Shri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman Temple on April 7, 2023, the workers said they are being humiliated publicly and unfairly blamed for the temple dispute. The workers stated that the discrimination, verbal abuse, and physical intimidation from the panchayat president has become unbearable over the past two years.
“We were mocked, threatened, and assigned demeaning tasks. We were told not to enter certain streets and they made us feel like we didn’t belong here. We were even forced to clean human faeces with bare hands,” Muniyammal told TNIE. “They even forced us to sign blank papers that were later fabricated to claim that we have withdrawn the complaint.” Despite repeated appeals to panchayat officials, including vice president Selvam, and sanitation supervisor Kavitha, no action has been taken, the workers said in the complaint.
On May 25, they lodged a complaint against Manivel at the Valavanur police station. The next day, a fact-finding team of revenue officials visited the village. But official sources confirmed that the sanitation workers were subsequently reassigned to Dalit localities, barring them from working in Caste Hindu areas. “They told us we wouldn’t face trouble if we stopped working there,” said Athilakshmi.
“Four officers in plain clothes came to my house shortly after we filed the complaint (in May) and asked me to sign some papers. I refused initially, but they insisted it was just a formality to change my work location. So, I signed. Only later did I realise that my complaint had been withdrawn,” said Muniyammal. Furthermore, the workers alleged that they were coerced into signing a statement indicating they no longer wished to pursue a case against Manivel, who allegedly tried to assault Adhilakshmi while on duty.
In an appeal to the chief minister, the collector and the SP, the workers have demanded action against Manivel under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and departmental action against police personnel who allegedly sided with the panchayat president. Acting on it, the deputy secretary (Home Department) issued a directive to the Villupuram SP to take appropriate action.
However, Villupuram SP P Saravanan told TNIE that the workers had withdrawn the complaint with the knowledge of the Koliyanur Block Development Officer. “Since the complaint was withdrawn, no further action was initiated,” he said.
Courtesy : Krithika Srinivasan, TNIE
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