Villupuram: Tension lingered in Kotiaymboondi village in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district on Saturday, as members of the Dalit and MBC (Most Backward Class) communities faced off regarding the burial of a Dalit resident of the village. As per information, Amutha, living in Kotiyamboondi, passed away on the night of May 18. Following this, Villupuram, Revenue Officials selected a place for burial, but were opposed by members of the MBC community, who protested the move.
The incident arrives with a backdrop of the Dalit community not having any dedicated cemeteries for itself. The community, till now, is said to have buried its dead near local enclosed water bodies, and also requested the District Collector several times to set up a burial ground.
The death of Amutha escalated the matter, as the Dalit community began protesting with the body with a renewed demand, with the MBC's opposing the move. Negotiations went on for two days and finally settled on Friday evening. The matter, mediated by revenue officials, is set to be settled through a peace meeting on May 26. The woman's body, meanwhile, was cremated on the roadside with heavy police deployment.
