Demand to demolish overhead tank in Vengaivayal intensifies; CB-CID takes over investigation

The tank must be destroyed without any trace as it has become a symbol of extreme ignominy, says VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan. A statement from the Democratic Youth Federation of India has asked people to join the protest set to be organised on January 21

The demand to demolish an overhead tank in Vengaivayal in Pudukkottai district, in which human faecal matter was mixed recently to contaminate the water supplied to the Scheduled Caste community, has intensified.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India, affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has announced a protest to demolish the tank on January 21. Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan demanded that the tank be demolished without any trace of it ever existing as it has become a symbol of extreme ignominy.

In his message on social media, Mr. Thirumavalavan further demanded that the arrangement of using a separate overhead tank for supplying water to Scheduled Castes should also be done away with. If different tumblers cannot be used to serve tea [to Scheduled Caste communities], there should not be different water tanks as well, he argued.

In a statement, DYFI State president S. Karthik and secretary A.V. Singaravelan said the overhead tank had become a symbol of untouchability, caste-based degradation and disunity in the society. Though the government has announced that a new tank will be built, the statement demanded that the old one be demolished fully.

The statement strongly condemned the delay in arresting those responsible for the crime and the alleged attempts by the police to frame youngsters from the SC community for the crime instead of finding the real culprits. It appealed to all those fighting for a society without inequality and caste discrimination to join the protest on January 21 to demolish the tank.

The Tamil Nadu government recently transferred the case to the CB-CID wing of the police, following concerns over a delay in arresting the accused and the alleged attempts to frame the SC community.

The Crime Branch CID has started its investigations into the case. Personnel from the department took over the investigation following a directive from the Director General of Police recently. The Vellanur police had registered the case initially and were probing it.