Atrocities against Tribes (Irula) in Thenneri Villege

18 June 2012

The Chairman

National Human Rights Commission

Faridkot House

Copernicus Marg

New Delhi-110001

A terrible atrocity is unfolding against the Irula people in Thenneri village at the hands of the dominant Mudaliar caste. There are 10 Irula families living in Thenneri Village, Walajabad Taluk, Kancheepuram District. Irulars are an adivasi community (listed as scheduled tribe) mainly living in Northern districts of Tamil Nadu. In this village, they are living on government land (Natham Porambokku) for the past 15 years.  Two Irula families are living on a piece of land which is close to the property owned by one Ekambaram Mudaliar. He has encroached around an acre of porambokku land including the piece of land on which these two Irula families live. This Ekambaram Mudaliar is a landlord who is running several businesses.

In the past few months, these 10 families had applied for caste certificate and title deed (patta) for the land on which they live, with the help of Makkal Mandram. Karthi, an Irula youth from Thenneri village, is very active in Makkal Mandram for several years. As a result of the initiative taken by the people and regular follow up, the 10 families managed to get their caste certificates during the last week. The Revenue District Officer (RDO) of Kancheepuram, who gave these certificates, had also conducted an enquiry about the ownership of land and had assured these people that they will be given title deed (pattas) for the porambokku land on which they have their homesteads.

Since the moment Ekambaram Mudaliar came to know of this plan of the government, he tried to coerce the two Irula families to vacate their houses and leave the village, as if they were doing so voluntarily. They refused to do so. The other Irula families in the village supported them.

On the night of 16.06.2012, Ekambaram Mudaliar, his son-in-law Abel who is a former Councilor, accompanied by a gang of ten persons came to these two Irula houses. One family is a woman headed household. Punitha, a  45 years old widow lives with her son Sivamani who is 21 and daughter Renu who is 17. The other family comprises Doraisamy, who is around 40, his visually handicapped wife, Perundevi and their five children. Their oldest son is 15 years old. 

This violent mob came, threatened and abused the Irula people. They brought a tractor and stationed it very close to these two Irula houses. The gang repeatedly called them Irula dogs and used the most vulgar swear words. They kept intimidating the two families that they won’t be alive if they didn’t leave the Mudaliar land.  They stoned the houses heavily. Several members of these two Irula families got hurt due to the stones. The light bulb hanging outside the huts broke. These family members were dragged out, pushed, jostled and beaten up. They kept asking for Karthi repeatedly. This went on for a long time. All the Irula families resisted and refused to leave the village.

Earlier in the day, Ekambaram Mudaliar had gone to the Walajabad Police Station to give a complaint against these two families, stating they had encroached upon his land. The Sub Inspector, Thulasirajan called Punitha to the station. At around 6 O’clock in the evening, Makkal Mandram activists accompanied Punitha to the Station and brought out the facts viz., that it was porambokku land on which these families were living for the past 15 years, which was in fact encroached by Ekambaram Mudaliar. Further, RDO enquiry was over and he had given an assurance that title deeds to that very piece of land would be given to the Irula families soon. The police agreed that it was a civil matter and beyond their jurisdiction. They let Punitha go home.

Today morning viz 17.06.2012 at 6 AM, Ekambaram Mudaliar and Abel returned with a bigger gang of hired henchmen (around 50 persons) lethally armed with sticks and stones. Some of the goondas who came with them are Dalits living in the Thenneri Dalit colony. They forcibly dragged the two families out of their homes. Then the gang entered these two homes and threw out the utensils, clothes and other things on the road. As other Irula families gathered, they were also brutally attacked with sticks and stones along with members of these two families. Karthi was specifically targeted and attacked. The thatched roof of the houses was broken and pulled apart. The tractor parked since last night was used to bulldoze the mud walls. The gang snatched the cell phones of the Irula people to prevent them from calling for help. Even grievously hurt persons were forcibly kept in confinement in the village. Somehow Karthi and Punitha escaped and reached Makkal Mandram at around 8 O’clock.

The others were repeatedly and beaten up with sticks, stones, hands etc continuously. They were kicked even after they fell down. They were abused in the foulest language with many casteist slurs and threatened to be thrown out of the village once and for all. This horrendous treatment went on till 12 noon.  Makkal Mandram kept calling all the higher police officials in Kancheepuram district since 8 AM to send some police personnel to protect the Irula people. The police kept assuring that a team was on its way. Since the situation was worsening by the moment, Makkal Mandram went directly to the DSP’s office and Walajabad Police Station to follow up. It was only then that six police men were sent to Thenneri village along with the Makkal Mandram team. It was only after they reached the village, that the Irula people were rescued, brought and admitted to Kancheepuram Government Hospital.

Thirteen persons have been admitted to hospital with various injuries. The names of the persons are:

Punitha w/o. Narayan – Age 45

Karthi s/o. Mani – Age 27

Mahesh  s/o. Mani -  Age 23

Manogaran s/o. Parthiban  - Age 21

Jayappan s/o. Parthiban – Age 18

Satish s/o. Parthiban – Age 16

Sivamani s/o. Narayanan – Age 21

Yuvaraj s/o. Devaraj – Age 21

Koteeswaran s/o. Ramesh – Age 18

Ari s/o. Ramesh – Age 19

Palani s/o. Boopalan – Age 20

Satya  s/o Doraisamy – Age 15

Doraisamy s/o Chinnasamy – Age 40

Most of them have internal injuries. Many were kicked on the chest. Doraisamy has chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Palani has a fracture in his left hand. Mahesh can’t hear since he was hit on the side of the face. Punitha’s right hand is badly swollen. Karthi was punched in the stomach and chest repeatedly and has severe chest pain.

Meanwhile, Karthi has lodged a complaint against Ekambaram Mudaliar and his gang at the Walajabad Police Station. Makkal Mandram met Sri Chandrasekhar DSP, once again late in the afternoon and requested him to book Ekambaram Mudaliar under the SC / ST (Atrocities) Act. The DSP has stated that it is not possible to book Ekambaram Mudaliar and others under this act as the crime committed by them would not fall under its ambit. He has also said that the provisions of Section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) would not be attracted. Makkal Mandram also spoke with Sri. Manoharan, Superintendent of Police, Kancheepuram over phone. However, there is no progress in the case. Till the time of sending out this mail viz., 9.00 PM, no FIR has been filed.

Ekambaram Mudaliar’s goons are still intimidating the shell-shocked Irula people in Thenneri village. The latest report we have received from the village is that Ekambaram Mudaliar’s gang once again came to Karthi’s house around 9. 00 PM and threatened the other family members present there saying ‘tonight we will rid this village of you Irula dogs once and for all as we have powerful links with the bureaucracy’.

The situation in Thenneri village is very risky for the Irula people right now.  We are apprehensive due to the indifferent way in which the government is treating the entire matter. The police are treating it as a routine group clash case. The district administration (RDO and his staff) are not taking responsibility at this juncture. We are unable to understand why the culprit Ekambaram Mudaliar cannot be booked under SC/ST Atrocities Act. Tribal houses have been completed demolished. Tribal people have been subjected to physical and emotional violence at his hands. He is a powerful person with lots of influence. He has used his power and influence to not only encroach upon government land but against totally powerless and marginalized people. If this case does not fall under atrocity based on caste/ community, then what would? Would people have to die or women have to be raped to invoke Atrocities Act?

Please lend your support urgently. We request all of you to please call up or write to the Kancheepuram district officials (phone / fax / email ids listed below) and urge them to take the following actions:

·         Book the culprits and arrest them immediately, so that immediate protection for the Irula people of Thenneri will is ensured.

·         Conduct an enquiry (by the DSP) and book them under SC/ST Atrocities Act and Section 307 (IPC) 

·         Ensure adequate protection for all the Irula families in Thenneri.

·         Give them the title deeds to that land immediately.

Please send us a copy of your fax or mail for reference.

Anticipating your support,

Warm regards

Makkal Mandram

Hanish Chhabra

Kancheepuram

Office – 044- 2737433

Res. – 044-27238478

Fax – 044 – 27237789 / 27238477

S. Manoharan

Kancheepuram District

Office – 044 – 27237720 / 27238070

Cell No - 9840962359

Sri. R. Thirugnanam

Office – 044-2739009

Sri Chandrasekhar

Kancheepuram

Office – 044 – 27233100

Sri. Kanni Kannan

Walajabad Police Station

Office – 044 – 27256044

Cell No. 9445465396

Chief Minister’s Special Cell

Secretariat Chennai – 600 009

PBX No. 044 – 25665566

Fax – 044 - 25676929

1.      The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Secretariat, Chennai. cmsec@tn.gov.in,  cmcell@tn.gov.in

2.    The Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Lok Nayak Bhavan, New Delhi.  chairperson@ncst.nic.in

3.       The Chairperson, State Human Rights Commission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. shrc@tn.nic.in

4.       The District Collector, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu. collrkpm@nic.in

5.       Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong