ERODE: Dalits of Perundurai in Erode district were forced to fall at the feet of some dominant caste people to get access to a common burial ground for a relative’s funeral on Oct 5, villagers have complained.Perundurai tahsildar C Selvakumar told TOI that he has sent a preliminary report to district collector S Kandasamy. Police sources said an FIR is being prepared, booking a group under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.M Kumar, a villager, said family members and friends of Senni, a dalit who died at the age of 90, were taking the body to the burial ground in Perumpalli under Madathupalayam village limits when some people belonging to a dominant caste blocked their way, saying dalits cannot be buried there.Anticipating resistance, the family had informed the police in advance. Police personnel, along with revenue officials and village panchayat functionaries, were present at the spot.Kumar said, in a desperate attempt to go ahead with the burial, two of the relatives fell at the feet of those blocking the way and pleaded for permission. “The incident took place in the presence of police who took no action to prevent the humiliation,” he said.The incident has triggered outrage among villagers, with several residents maintaining that access to a common burial ground is a basic right and that no family should have to beg for permission to conduct the last rites of a loved one.Dalit families here have long alleged that they are often forced to take the bodies of their relatives to a burial ground 4km away, in Thingalur panchayat.Perundurai tahsildar said the family finally buried the body at the common ground. “We are inquiring into the allegations that some people were forced to fall at the feet of some others,” Selvakumar said.The district collector did not answer calls from TOI.The controversy over access to the common burial ground has since sparked widespread discussion in the Perundurai region, with residents calling for a thorough inquiry and measures to ensure equal access to public facilities irrespective of caste.
