He has assured the members of his support and has also helped devise multiple solutions to an ongoing land dispute.
After TNM’s report on a case of caste discrimination in Dharmapuri district’s Pennagaram taluk, DMK MP Dr K Senthilkumar visited the affected Dalit family. He has assured the members of his support and has also helped devise multiple solutions to an ongoing land dispute.
The family had woken up on Saturday to discover that caste Hindu neighbours had fenced off their six acre property, closing off the route through which tractors and lorries can enter the land. This was allegedly in continuation of a decade old dispute over the land, made worse by caste factors.
Speaking to TNM, the member of Parliament said, “I listened to both the affected persons and the other party involved in the dispute. This struggle between them has been going for the last 10 years and small issues have been blown out of proportion in the past as well. The affected persons have told me that they have been abused in regard to caste but the other party says that this fencing is not a form of discrimination.”
After discussions helped, along with local authorities solutions to the ongoing problem were devised.
“We have given four options to consider. Both parties have said they will think about it and come to a decision. A peace meeting was also held by the tahsildar on Thursday to help them have another round of discussion,” he says. “They don’t want the matter to be politicised. They are ready to work amicably and come to a solution,” he adds.
Speaking to TNM on Tuesday, Arjunan the owner of the land had said caste based discrimination against his family had increased in the last two years.
“They threaten us with bodily harm if we leave our property. They are supported by other intermediate castes in the village but we have no one to talk to us,” said Arjunan. “We need the tractor to begin harvest and the lorry to transport produce. They have now cut off our access to both.”
Source: The News Minute