VCK chief: Declare Nellai, Thoothukudi Dalits atrocity-prone districts

MADURAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) cadre led by its president Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday staged a protest at Vannarpettai in Tirunelveli condemning the brutal attack on the Dalit siblings in their house at Nanguneri. They raised slogans urging the police to take necessary action to prevent any such incident in future and end caste-based discrimination.

While addressing the protesters, Thirumavalavan said several incidents involving abuse of low caste and attacks especially on Dalits in southern districts were reported. Such incidents of caste discrimination occurred mostly in Tirunelveli and neighboring Thoothukudi districts. Citing these, the VCK chief appealed to the state government to declare Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi as atrocity prone districts. He also sought the police to form a special intelligence cell to prevent another such incident.

Recalling the incident, he said it’s a deliberate attack unleashed on the Dalit siblings M Chinnadurai and M Chandraselvi, who are still in hospital, by anti-social elements, who even walked away from the incident scot-free on that fateful day. It’s a very harsh and unfortunate reality in this 21st century.

Only a few film directors, including Pa Ranjith and Mari Selvaraj, give voice to Dalit politics in their films, but they have been pinpointed by some others as the cause behind such atrocities. He then said consumption of illicit drugs among youths is on the rise and despite this, the police failed to control it. Mostly, hardened criminals used to be under the influence of intoxication.

Referring to Superstar Rajinikanth’s meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Thirumavalavan said Rajinikanth’s gesture of touching the feet of the UP CM, certainly caused him pain.