Dalits threaten to embrace Islam post wall collapse

Among those who have decided to give up Hinduism also include family members of those late Dalits who fell victim to the December 2 incident at Nadur village near Mettupalayam. The decision of the community members to convert to Islam was taken at the outfit’s recent meeting in Mettupalayam.

“So far, 50 people have come forward to convert to Islam, and more will follow in the coming days. No one has been forced into conversion and it was a voluntary act. Already, ten members of our outfit had converted to Islam three years ago against discrimination,” said M Muthu Kumar, spokesperson of Tamil Puligal.

On December 2, the compound wall of the textile firm owner, Sivasubramanian, collapsed on to the houses of three Dalit families, resulting in the death of 17 persons-including three children.

Massive protests by Dalit outfits followed the incident, resulting in the arrest of Tamil Puligal leader Nagai Thiruvalluvan.

“While the textile firm owner, an accused in the incident, had come out on bail, Thiruvalluvan who stood up for the rights of Dalits, still continues to languish in prison. The house owner is now out free as the police have failed to invoke the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 against him,” Muthu Kumar said.

“When Dalits are denied their basic right of self-respect, what is the point in being in this religion? The members are also against converting to Christianity as caste discrimination prevails there too,” he added.