Arunthathiyars stage protest saying officials favour members of another community with political clout

Residents in Madurai demand equal rights in temple festival participation and free patta allocation, alleging discrimination by officials.

A group of residents belonging to a Scheduled Caste from Theerthakaadu near Vandiyur in Madurai staged a sit-in protest at a cremation ground on Monday demanding equal rights in participation and celebration of a temple festival, and allocation of free pattas. 

The protesters who belonged to Arunthathiyar community alleged they were being sidelined by the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department over distribution of welfare measures and allocation of free patta lands. “A nine-acre land which was earmarked for the purpose of distribution under free patta scheme was denied to our people, but steps are being taken to give it to people belonging to Paraiyar community,” said one of the protesters. 

“Through political clout, those people get things done for them by deflecting the benefits away from us.  We had two temples on government land, one for each community. But recently the Paraiyars petitioned the government authorities to remove our temple on a new-found premise that it was built on government land,” alleged another resident. 

Following the petition, about 10 days ago, the authorities demolished the temple, he added. “We are not allowed to enter their temples too,” he said.  

The protesters said,” The officials favoured the Paraiyars. When both the temples were located on government land, the authorities were biased in demolishing our temple and not touching theirs. Both our communities have been living together harmoniously for more than three decades. Only because of political interventions in the recent past that we are being sidelined by the authorities,” he said. 

Adi Dravidar Welfare Department officials who arrived at the spot told the protesters that the demand for their own temple would be discussed with senior officials before they could assure them about a solution.  

Refuting allegations of the protesters that they were being sidelined by the officials in distribution of land under free patta scheme, the officials said that they were not planning to distribute land to either of the communities.