In the Perungudi region of Madurai district, five members of the Dalit community, including a five-year-old boy, were victim to a brutal attack by two men belonging to a dominant caste in an incident that unfolded on Monday, November 27. The survivors are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. According to reports, two men have been arrested by the police so far.
The victims are all daily wage labourers and have been identified as Ganapathy Kumar, Ajith, Vijayakumar, Periyasamy, and his 5-year-old grandson, are residents of Sankaiah Koil Street in Perungudi and members of the Paraiyar community which is a Scheduled Caste group.
According to the report by The News Minute, the victims were having a conversation at a playground before heading to work on that fateful Monday evening. The men were reportedly approached by men named R Mari and K Sasikumar under the premise of asking about an individual named Kannan Pillai. The soon to be victims replied that they don’t know anyone by that name, following which the exchange quickly escalated into an argument as the dominant castes allegedly resorted to casteist slurs. The two men made sure to mention their caste and proceeded to ask the Dalits why they were not making gestures of “respect” towards them. The two attackers are from the Kallar community which is a backward caste community that holds considerable political influence, according to The News Minute.
The situation began to escalate and proceeded to worsen further when the attackers brought out swords to attack them. Periyasamy tried to intervene and stop the fight, but he too was attacked in the process. The attackers did not even spare his 5-year-old grandson, leaving the young boy with cuts on his legs. Once the scene began to attract public attention from passers-by who started arriving at the playground, the attackers fled. Following this, the injured Dalits were quickly transported to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai where they are currently undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the police have initiated an investigation into the matter which has led to the arrest of two men. Going further, the police have also reportedly heightened security measures in Perungudi village to ensure the situation remains calm. The attack has sparked widespread condemnation from various Dalit rights activists and has even prompted the Tamil Nadu BJP president to express his shock at the issue and demand strict action.
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