TN southern districts alerted on possible caste-related violence

Chennai, June 27 (IANS) Caste disputes leading to violence and killings is not new to Tamil Nadu, and it happens periodically in the state.

Sources in the police told IANS that the state police intelligence has recently issued a warning to its officers in southern Tamil Nadu on the possibility of certain caste-related violence in the Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.

Immediately after the DMK government under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin assumed office, there was a spate of killings in Madurai and Tirunelveli districts.

In those clashes, which were mainly between Dalit communities and a caste Hindu group, more than four people had lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu DGP had to camp in Madurai to curb the violence by taking strong action.

The police had then directed all the shops in the district selling knives, machetes, sickles and other farm equipment like axes to get the phone numbers and addresses of the buyers of these items.

After this order became mandatory, there was a lull in the attacks and the killings had come down.

The police told IANS that this was routine information passed on by the state intelligence to make the district and regional police heads prepare themselves for any such eventuality.

Even as the Dravidian political parties -- be it DMK or AIADMK -- have been ruling Tamil Nadu since the past five decades, the issue of caste is a reality in Tamil society and at times it turns brutal, often leading to one or the other losing their lives in bloody spars.

There were murders and retaliation between the Dalits and the Thevar community and even the heads of the deceased were severed and kept at the grave of the persons who were killed a few years before.

The police had to take a strong stand to crush the violence and many people were arrested and put behind the bars.

With the 2024 general elections months away and the DMK wanting to take a major space in the evolving political climate of the country, Stalin, who is also in charge of the Home department, does not want any skirmishes in the name of caste in the state, which can bring a bad reputation to the Tamil Nadu.

In a recent meeting with top officers of the state police, the Chief Minister had directed them to up their ante on any possible issues in the state and to beef up their intelligence network.

Police intelligence, according to sources, have received information that there could be some retaliation between the Dalits and Thevars and have directed all the District Police Superintendents to remain alert and to have all the local police stations on vigil against any minor fights taking place within their station limits.

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