Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu – Around 45 kilometers from Tiruvannamalai, in Mothakkal village, on Monday, a section of caste Hindus objected to the funeral procession of a Dalit woman. The Dalit community had decided to take the body through the village’s main road due to the poor condition of their traditional route.
According to information, 70-year-old S. Kiliambal passed away at her daughter’s house in the Dalit colony on Sunday evening due to age-related illnesses. Traditionally, caste Hindus and Dalits have been using separate routes for funeral processions. The Dalit burial ground is located on the outskirts of the village, and to reach it, they must go through a muddy path.
“The usual path that Dalits use had become even worse with overgrown bushes and uneven surfaces. Authorities have not repaired it for many years. So, we decided to take the funeral procession on the route used by caste Hindus”, a member of the Bahujan community told local media. It is also reported that the path had been encroached upon by some individuals, making it difficult to use.
The police stated that the Dalits had decided to hold the funeral procession on the village’s main road around 4 p.m., but caste Hindus objected to it. Upon receiving information from panchayat officials, a police team rushed to the village to prevent any untoward incidents.
Led by R. Mandakini, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Tiruvannamalai, a revenue team organized peace talks between the caste Hindus and Dalits in the village. After nearly five hours of discussions, the Dalits agreed to use their traditional route. The path used by Dalits was leveled, and the woman’s funeral was conducted on Monday night.
This story was originally published in themooknayak.com. Read the full story here.