In an interview to Kumudam, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai said that according to data obtained from an official report regarding ‘Number of Villages per State Practising Ostracism’, through a Right to Information (RTI) application, the number of villages practising untouchability is the highest in Tamil Nadu.

He said that even Haryana and Bihar, two of the states that were infamous for caste discrimination have improved their situation.

This comes after the discovery of human feces in the drinking water tank used by Dalits in Vengaivayal village of Pudukkottai district, which sparked massive outrage. In the same village, there were other forms of discrimination like a ban on temple entry and the use of a ‘two- tumbler’ system in tea shops.

A detailed survey carried out last year by the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) had found several forms of discrimination against Dalit Panchayat presidents.

Some of them include not being allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day and Republic Day, not being allowed a chair in their offices and denial of documents.

He asked as to why was this happening even when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) with its much-touted Dravidian model of social justice has been in power for so long in the state. It is the sixth time that the DMK is in power, he added.

Also Read: Human Faeces Found In Water Tank In Tamil Nadu: The Abominable Sin of Hindu Society