Indira Nagar, in Semmandempalayam, Palladam Taluk, Tirupur district, is home to nearly 3100 Dalit Arunthathiyar families. In this village, caste hindu Kounder community people were found to be in majority. On 29/09/2010, Ramesh (15) 10^th std student, Paneerselvam (14) 9^th std student and Vijayan (15) 9^th std student, all belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community, went to the government poromboke field to play gilly game. They cut some sticks from the tree found in that land to make gilly stick. Thaneerpandam Thottam owner Narayanan Kounder scolded the students saying, “Sakkili dogs why you are cutting branches from the trees. Then he and his son brutally assaulted the three students and threw them into the thorn trees causing grievous injury.

Pasuvapatti village is in Chennimalai Panchayat, Perundurai Taluk, Erode district. This village comprises of Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Indra Nagar, K.C. Nagar, Thattangaadu and Kamaraj Nagar. In Thiruvalluvar Nagar is home to around 130 Arunthathiyar family, Thattangaadu is home to around 70 Arunthathiyar families and the remaining families belongs to Nadar community. Nadar families are found in rest of the villages. Thiruvalluvar Nagar Dalits’ ancestral home is in Aathur region of Salem district. They have been living in the congested area of the government poromboke land. 15 years ago Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars bought rill poromboke land from the government and the acquired land is used by the Nadar community and the Thattangaadu Arunthathiyars as a burial ground. Thiruvalluvar Nagar people use this land as a burial pathway to reach the burial ground near Bavanisagar.

In the election to the panchayat president, Thanasekaran belongs to dalit Arunthathiyar community and resident of Thiruvalluvar Nagar, emerged as a winner. The intolerant caste Hindu Nadars who were not able to digest the victory of a Dalit, persuaded Thattangaadu Arunthathiyars to join them in blocking the burial path to the Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars and forced them to travel 4km around the regular path to reach their burial ground. Hence Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars agitated against the blockade. Adhi Tamilar Peravai, joined the agitators and got the approval from the government to use the burial path. They kept a Adhi Tamilar Peravai name board in that place. Hence Nadar community members verbally abused ATP staff members, referring derogatory regarding caste. The perpetrators destroyed the ATP name board and their flag.

Ravichandran filed a complaint with the Police station regarding this atrocity. Police is negligent to take action on the complaint given by Ravichandran. Two weeks have been lapsed since this incident, but the DSP have not taken any action in this regard. Biased police department entertained the false counter complaint filed by the perpetrators to exert pressure on the victims to withdraw the case.

K. Perumal, resident of Mudalipatti village, Perilavanpatti Panchayat, Ettayapuram Taluk, Thoothukudi district, belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community. He is a Cobbler and a daliy wage labour. In the past there were aroung 15 dalit families were living in this village. As there were no basic facilities like road, drinking water and electricity, most of the dalit families left the village. But Perumal remained in this village. In this village, Dalits were not allowed to fetch water from the public tape. During the funeral, Dalits were subjected to play drums and to announce the death news. During the panchayat president election, he worked infavour of his Master. But his master failed and Stephen Raj was elected as Panchayat president. yabysAs Perumal worked infavour his contestant, Stephen was acrimonious against Perumal. When Perumal asked Stephen to provide electricity facility to his house, Stephen verbally abused him referring derogatory regarding caste. Stephen denied work to Perumal and his family under the NREGA Scheme. Stephen discriminated and denied the benefits of government schemes to Perumal. Hence on 27/09/2010, Perumal, his family staged a hunger strike seeking provision of basic facilities and job under NREGA Scheme.

Legal Standard Breached:

1.       No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to - (a)  access  to  shops,  public  restaurants,  hotels  and  places  of  public entertainment. (15 (2)(a,b) of IC-FR).
2.       A person, who is not a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, who intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste in any place of public view, is guilty of an offence under the Act ( sec. 3(1)(x) SC/ST (PoA) Act).
3.       Whoever, being a public servant but not being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, willfully neglects his/her duties required to be performed by him/her under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year [sec. 4 SC/ST (PoA) Act].
4.       No one shall be deprived of his/her right to life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary detention or imprisonment [Art. 21 IC-FR, Art. 9 UDHR, & Art. 9(1) ICCPR].
5.       Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person [Arts. 3 UDHR, Art. 6(1) ICCPR & Art. 5(b) CERD].
6.       Whoever denies a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe any customary right of passage to a place of public resort or obstructs such member so as to prevent him from using or having access to a place of public resort to which other members of public or any section thereof have a right to use or access to; - - shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to five years and with fine. (sec. 3(1)(xiv) SC/ST PoA Act).

On the eve of Ganesh festival on 22^nd September 2010 the Dalits went into the main village and participated in the festival. There was the auction of Laddu( Sweet). The Dalits participated in the auction and ultimately won the auction and purchased the main Laddu for Rs. 16000/-, small one for Rs 3000/- and an apple for Rs 1000/- on behalf of Ambedkar Youth Association. This irritated the Reddy (dominant) community. The immersion procession started at Chenivelli and reached near Andhra Bank, Chevella for immersion around 8.30 pm. The dalit youth also joined the procession and started to distribute the laddu to the Reddys. The Reddys said “Vorai Mala Madiga mundakodakallara meru laddu pedithe memu thinala, meru matho dance chestara ani mammulanu meda battukuni bayatiki nettaru” (The Reddys said You Malas and Madiga sons of bitches, should we eat the laddu you give and are we to dance alongwith you and necked out the dalit youth). Later the dalit youth lodged a complaint in Chevella PS. On 23^rd September 2010 the Reddys forced them for a compromise and asked to withdraw the complaint. The Dalits agreed for it and have said to discuss about the compromise on the next day.

Brief details of the incident:

On 23^rd September the MPTC and the village Sarpanch proposed for compromise. The dalits said that the Reddys should come to them, catch hold of their legs and ask for pardon. The Reddys rejected and said to the Dalits to go for case. Around 7.30 pm on the same day discussions were going on near the house of Byagari Sayanna. Suddenly Patlammagari Prabhakar Reddy and 5 others came and started attacking the Dalits. Immediately 26 others also joined them and attacked with sticks. The Dalits ran into the houses of the BCs and bolted the doors. The Reddys broke open the doors and beat both the Dalits and BCs saying why you have not withdrawn the complaint. Later they threatened the Dalits of dire consequences and left away. The youth went to the house of Sarpanch for help. Though he was inside the house, his wife said that he was not there. Later all the women went to his house around 11 pm and he came out and informed to the police over phone. The police came along with the 108 ambulance and moved 11 dalits and 2 BCs to the hospital and registered a case.

The other reason behind the attack was that the dalits are not going for work in the fields of the Reddy community. The victim Sudhakar being the field assistant of NREGS was helping out the dalits to get works. The dalits were also demanding more and equal wages from the Reddys.              

Brief details of the incident:

The people belonging ST (Lambadas) of Dusari Kunta Thanda, Machanapalli village, Shabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district were on their way for Vinayaka immersion on the evening of 20^nd September. As they entered the main road from their thanda around 7.30 pm, Gulla Kumar s/o Chinnayya of Namdhar Khan Pet has rashly    drove   the   auto   carrying   milk   and   hit   a   girl  in  the procession. The lambadas beat the driver Gulla Kumar. Gulla Kumar informed to his villagers over phone. Around 9 pm in the night Gulla Chinnayya and 100 others came and attacked children, women and men in the procession and as well as in the thanda simultaneously. They continued the attack until 11 pm. In the attack Sakri (35), Chinna Hanumanthu (55), Pedda Hanumanthu(41), Ramani(28), Ramiya(60), K. Shankaramma(45), V. Shankaramma(35), Manemma(58) were grievously hurt and 23 others have sustained diminutive injuries. They have also damaged the TV sets, motor bikes, utensils etc.

The villagers called on to the police. The police came to the village around 11.30 pm after the attack with ambulance and moved them to the hospital around 2am. The police send them away after treatment, but have not registered the case. They all came over to Chevella with the help of DSS on 21^st September and organized a public action (dharna) demanding for the registration of the case. Then only the Inspector got the case registered.