Three elderly men from Dalit community were not fined or penalised for flouting covid-19 norms but were instead forced to fall at the feet of a village panchayat. In Tamil Nadu's Villupuram, the men from Dalit community were forced to fall at the feet of a village panchayat and apologise for organising a music function in the village flouting the coronavirus protocols.
The incident led to rising of questions on the caste atrocities in India.
As per an India Today report, on May 12, the Dalit families in the Ottanandhal Panchayat near Thiruvennainallur had allegedly acquired permission to organise a very small ceremonial celebration for their village deity. However, a large crowd had gathered for the ceremony and for the events, which were prohibited as part of Covid-19 lockdown norms.
Soon the police were reported about the event and they reached the village and asked the crowd to disperse as hundreds were at the risk of contracting the Covid-19 infection. The police also took the organisers of the event to Thiruvennainallur police station.
The police let go the organisers with a warning after a written apology. However, when the group was returning to their village, they were issued a notice to attend a panchayat court on May 14.
When the community leaders attended the panchayat court, they were ordered to fall on the feet of the village panchayat for conducting the festival without its permission. Thirumal, Santhanam and Arumugam obeyed the verdict and fell on the feet of the members of the panchayat and apologised.
