Untouchability-free Karungali village in Vellore gets Social Harmony Award

Out of 367 villages that come under the Department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare in Vellore, Karungali has been chosen for the Social Harmony Award by Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian

For residents of Karungali, a remote village on the foothills of Jawadhu in Anaicut region of Vellore district, basic amenities like regular water supply, proper roads, bus services, healthcare centre, schools and fair price shops are the priorities rather than caste affiliations.

Out of 367 villages that come under the Department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare in the district, Karungali has been chosen for the Social Harmony Award by Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian. It was based on two reasons – no caste clashes for many years and no discrimination between various castes in public places, such as temples, public wells, fair price shops, tea shops and salons in the village, a reserved constituency.

The annual award carries a citation and cash prize of ₹10 lakh. The money would be spent to improve drinking water sources, roads and construction and repair of school buildings.

“Our grandparents might have faced caste discrimination, but we are not facing it in the village. We are invited for family functions of other castes, and we also reciprocate,” said panchayat president Sumitra Pichandi.

Karungali village has around 1,200 families of which 40% belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe communities. Others are Vanniyars, Naidus, Mudaliyars, Boyars and Yadavas. It comprises six wards, covering its eight hamlets, including Chinna Karungali, Karungali Colony, Kuttapalli, Kallikuppam, Karungalipalayam and Basavanayankuppam.

“Field reports by various departments like the police, Revenue Department, panchayats, tribal welfare and Block Development Office on non-existence of untouchability in a village forms the basis for giving the Social Harmony Award. Same village can get multiple times based on this criteria,” N. Ramakrishnan, District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare officer (Vellore), told The Hindu.

Two temples form the centre of worship for all communities in the village. Intercaste marriages, especially between Naidus and Adi Dravidars, were also recorded in the village. Decisions on public works like road laying, overhead tanks, water pipelines and school building repairs are collectively taken by the panchayat. Currently, the new building for the panchayat office, which is functioning from a rented house, is being built with funds mobilised by residents, who belong to various castes in the village.