Caste discrimination: Curbs imposed at Tenkasi village in Tamil Nadu

It is ironic that even after 75 years of independence caste discrimination is still prevalent in the country. A few incidents of practising untouchability came to light across the country in the recent past. Among them, one incident where a Dalit boy was beaten to death for touching the water pot in Rajasthan was still afresh in the memory of the people. Another incident on the lines of Rajasthan took place in Tamil Nadu where a shopkeeper refused to sell candies to Dalit kids. This episode has created a public outrage when the video went viral on social media.

Tenkasi (Tamil Nadu): In a shocking incident, a petty shop owner refused to sell eatables to the Scheduled Caste schoolchildren at Panjakulam village in Tamil Nadu on Saturday. The incident came to light when a video of the shop owner not selling candies went viral on social media. Following this, petty shop owner Maheshwaran (40) and his associate Moorthy (22) were arrested by the police.

Meanwhile, police beefed up security and put barricades at Panjakulam village as a precautionary measure. The entry of vehicles has been restricted and the police are checking all the vehicles before allowing them into the village. Similarly, the entry of politicians, too, into the village has been restricted.

A day after the arrest of two persons, Inspector General (South Zone) Asra Garg took measures to invoke externment provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused to bar them from entering Panjakulam village in Tenkasi district. Asra Garg said the decision to invoke externment provisions was taken considering the gravity of the offence. According to sources, the district administration has planned to hold a peace meeting in the village to douse the tension between the upper castes and members of the SC community.