Ostracism continues in Dalit colony

Ostracism continues in Dalit colony
S M Arun | INDIAN EXPRESS

IT'S going to be four years after Subha killed herself as a teenager who fought a daring battle against caste Hindus for abusing her as a member of the `lowly' Arundhathiyar community. The accused were later punished and the residents of the Dalit colony she lived have since faced no similar humiliation, but a social ostracism continues to haunt them. As the people of the Arundhathiyar colony in K Velayudhapuram off Kalugumalai in this district are poised to commemorate the fourth death anniversary of Subha next Monday, they continue to live virtually cut off from the rest of society. A barbedwire fence that caste Hindus had erected around their colony remains intact, no shopkeeper in the locality sells them commodities. It was on August 10, 2006, that Subha committed suicide at the age of 17, unable to bear the taunts she faced as a Dalit girl who raised her voice against the local caste Hindus even after complaining to the police.
The offenders were later punished under the law, but the boycott against her community continues even as Subha is now hailed as a legend. "She was bold," says Subha's mother Kaliammal. "She told the truth boldly that caste Hindus oppressed us on many occasions when the issue arose in 2006. My daughter helped us earn freedom for us from the oppression by her death. But she was abused beyond words. They even tried to molest
her." The tearful mother said that Subha wrote to the authorities a letter about the abuse and committed suicide, thereby bringing the offenders to justice. But Left parties aren't happy about the result.
CPI(M) district secretary K Kanagaraj, who accompanied this reporter to the colony, said that it was inhuman and amounted to human rights violation. "The fence has psychologically affected these oppressed classes. Shockingly, even the official machinery sleeps unmindful of it", he said.
Collector G Prakash said. "A revenue team under the RDO will be sent within few days to sort out the issue. Punitive action will be taken, if necessary", he told Express.