P. Ponnusamy, resident of Kumarasen Nagar, Kalugumalai, Kovilpatti Taluk, Thoothukudi district, belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community. He is working as a scavenger in the Kalugumalai Primary Health Centre and he is an alcoholic. His wife Mrs. Kaliyammal, is also working in this PHC as a part time scavenger. On 30/03/2010, Ponnusamy and his wife had a scuffle during the evening. Hence Dr. Shanthi, Principal Health Officer of the PHC, immediately reported about this to the Director of General Government Hospital Kovilpatti.

During the evening PA to the Director, Bhagavathi Perumal, came to the PHC and woke up Ponnusamy. Bhagavathi asked Ponnnusamy to stand near to the broken glass window and took a snap of it in his mobile. Then he asked Ponnusamy to stand near the tree, whose branches were broken and took a photo of this in his mobile. Then he verbally abused him referring derogatory regarding caste, saying Sakkilis always behave like this and I will teach you a lesson. Then he asked Ponnusamy to get in to the car and took him to the General Government Hospital, Kovilpatti.

Bhagavathi allegedly complained to the Director that Ponnusamy broken the glass window and broke the tree branches. Bhagavathi purposefully took those photos and framed these allegation against him. Due to this false allegations, charges were framed against Ponnusamy and he was served suspension order until further orders.

Brief Details of the Incident:

Triveni (12) belonging to Holiya Dasari caste, daughter of Pothuraju (45).  Pothuraju works as a watchman in the independent building under construction belonging to Mahesh at Borabanda. The ground floor contains two portions, one portion is occupied by Satyanarayana working as reporter in Andhra Jyothi news paper and other portion is rented to Kumar a lorry driver.  Pothuraju stays in the first floor which is under construction.  He has come to know that prostitution is being done in the portion taken by Kumar and the same was brought to the notice of the owner.  The owner has warned them and asked to vacate the house immediately.

On 29.03.2010, Pothuraju and his wife went to distribute the wedding cards of their eldest son.  On the same day night four persons wearing masks have forcefully entered the house beat his two sons and Triveni with rods causing grievous injuries.  Later they all gang raped Triveni and left away at a stage when all three fell unconscious.  The perpetrators bolted the house of Satyanarayana from outside.  Satyanarayana’s wife could come out around 8.a.m as the milk man came and opened the outside bolt.  As nobody from Pothuraju’s family was responding, she went up and came to know that all three were unconscious and Triveni was lying naked.  They informed the police and moved them to hospital in 108 ambulance. The police came around 10.a.m. and pressed the dog’s squad in to force. Triveni was given treatment in an unconscious state for one week in Gandhi hospital and she died around 8.30 p.m. on 07.04.2010 and medical negligence is also one of the reasons. All the 4 accused were identified and remanded on 19/6/2012.

Around 18 Dalits are working in Agricultural Research Centre Kovilpatti. Dr. V. Subramanian,  the Director and the Senior Professor in this research institute, belongs to caste Hindu Vellalar community. He is alleged to be discriminatory in his practice. He is complained of giving memos targeting the Dalit community staff members. Mr. Thamarai Kannan, Asst Agri Officer was on leave on 25^th and 26^th of March 2010. But Subramani gave a memo to him for a loss of CD which was stolen on 26^th. Mr. Erulandi PUSM was given a Memo without any possible ground for allegation. On receiving the Memo, unable to bear the shock, Erulandi died at the very moment. Mr. Thenraj PUSM, was given a Memo while he was on leave. Thus Director Subramanian is humiliating the Dalit Staff members on purpose with caste discrimination.

Unable to bear the humiliation and discrimination, Dalit staffs pasted posters in many parts of Kovilpatti condemning the activities of the Director and requesting the government to take action against the culprit under Prevention of Atrocity Act.

Kaliammal W/o Ganapathi, resident of Azahunatchiarpuram,Sankarankovil Taluk, Trinelveli District, is a farm laborer. She and her husband Kanapathi, went to banana plantation field for work. Because of high temperature in the field, she was affected by Diarrhea and she was provided medication for that. Hence her sister Kaliammal W/o Madasamy, resident of Karadikulam, kayathar Union, Kovilpatti Taluk, Thoothukudi district, went to Azahunatchiarpuram to see her daughter. After returning Kaliammal was also affected by diarrhea and died on 26/03/2010. Hence Ganapathi and his son Guruchandiran aged (3) went to attend her funeral. Guruchandiran was also affected by diarrhea and died soon after the attending the funeral. Kaliammal mother Muthammal (70) was also affected by diarrhea and died after the failure of the medication.

Distirct General Hospital – Kovilpatti and Primary Health Centre – Kaluhumalal, failed to respond to the situation, leading to the death of 3 members of the family belonging to Dalit community. District Administration have not visited the relatives of the deceased and conducted an enquiry regarding this. The District Administration have not provided any monetary compensation for the victims’ family. Due to negligence of the medical administration, 3 members of family died due to curable diarrhea.

 Vilaathikulam Taluk is in Thoothukudi District, Dailt activists of Vilaathikulam filed a petition with the District Collector seeking approval and arrangement to erect a new statue of Dr. Ambedkar. District collector gave approval and send a letter to the Tahsildar to make the necessary arrangements for the erection of the statue. But the Tahsildar, who belongs to dominance caste hindu community, have not taken any action on the direction given by the DC. Hence Dalit activists on their own initiative found a land for the construction of the statue and reported this to the Tahsildar. But the Tahsildar declined the suggestions of the activists group. Again a petition was sent to the District collector regarding this. Considering the negligence and discriminatory practice of the Tahsildar and the Municipal Chairman regarding the request for the Statue, Dalit activists formed a Statue Constitution Committee, by forming a coalition of all the Dalit solidarity groups to work towards their objective. Thus the committee decided to stage a protest demonstration on 23/03/2010, condemning the Tahsildar and the Municipal chairman for their negligence to fulfill the demand of the Dalits. Hence a peace meeting was arranged on 22/03/2010, by Tahsildar to solve the issue of Statue construction for Dr. Ambedkar. The District Administration promised to make necessary arrangement for constituting the statue. Hence the plan of Protest Demonstration is withdrawn.