Wall blocking way to Dalit colony demolished in Namakkal

Even as the 100 odd families of Ambedkar Nagar termed it as a ‘discriminatory wall’, authorities claimed that the wall was demolished as it was an encroachment.

For the past several years, the Dalit residents were holding marathon protests demanding to pull down the nearly ten feet high wall. On August 11, residents hoisted black flags in front of their houses. They also announced a fast on Independence Day, but deferred following the intervention of district administration authorities.

Later, a peace committee was constituted to hold talks with the differing groups to settle down the issue.  “As it came to be known that a portion of the wall was raised on a ‘poramboke’ land, it was demolished after giving due notice to the individual, who was claiming ownership to the land,” said C Karthikeyan, Tahsildar, Rasipuram.  

The eviction was made amidst tight police security to prevent any untoward incidents. Meanwhile, residents of the Dalit colony felt relieved as they could now get an easy access to the arterial Namakkal Road.

“So far, it took us a long detour to reach the arterial thoroughfare. Our journey may now be cut short by a few kilometers with the removal of the wall. It is also a matter of pride for us that the demolition was done on the birth anniversary of Periyar, who fought for social justice,” said a resident.