Declare Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi as caste atrocity-prone districts: VCK to TN govt

CHENNAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder leader and Member of Parliament Thol Thirumavalavan on Tuesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to declare Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of the state as caste atrocity-prone districts.

The Dalit leader was responding to the recent attack on two school-going Dalit siblings by intermediate caste members at their residence in Vannarpettai, Tirunelveli district.

He said that the two children were grievously injured in the attack and were admitted to the hospital and the perpetrators of the crime had walked scot-free.

Stating that several attacks were taking place against Dalits in Southern Tamil Nadu, especially in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, VCK called upon the state police to constitute a special intelligence cell to prevent such attacks.

Thol Thirumavalan said that only a few directors like Pa Ranjith and Mari Selvaraj had given voice to Dalit politics in their movies but added that they were pinpointed by people as the cause of such atrocities.

It may be noted that there have been several attacks and counterattacks between Thevar community members and the Dalits in which many people were killed from both sides.