Thursday, December 15, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Separate ration for Dalits of Kurayur

http://expressbuzz.com/topnews/separate-ration-for-dalits-of-kurayur/341886.html

Separate ration for Dalits of Kurayur

Sruthisagar Yamunan
Express News Service

Last Updated : 10 Dec 2011 11:33:04 AM IST

MADURAI: "The only difference between what happened in Uthapuram and
our village is that there is no wall here. All other discrimination is
present," said a pensive Mariappan, pointing to the road in the
village that divides the Dalit colony from that of the Caste Hindu
people.

From the archaic two-tumbler system and a separate ration shop, to the
lack of access to the village temple, the Dalits of Kurayur in
Thirumangalam taluk near here have been facing caste discrimination
for years.

However, while the physical wall in Uthapuram had received much
attention from the district administration, much of what is happening
in this outwardly quaint village has gone unnoticed.

Despite being a reserved constituency in the last two panchayat
elections, Dalits in the village say that they have not been able to
bring in change. The discrimination starts from the food they eat,
with the village having separate ration shops for the two castes.

"We have to get the rice from the one on our side of the village.
There is another building inside whether they get it, though the cards
are mixed among the two shops," said one person, pointing to the
building near the missionary-run school where only SC students study.

Then comes the dreaded two-tumbler system. When Express checked out a
tea shop in the village, it came to light that the Dalits were served
only in paper cups, whereas the Caste Hindus were served in the usual
glasses."We used to have separate tumblers in the early days. But the
tea shops have now changed to paper cups as they do not want to
attract attention," said another person from the SC community.

Like many other villages in the district, the flashpoint in Kurayur
also seems to be the place of worship. Dalits say that they have been
barred from entering the Mariamman temple in the village, which is now
undergoing renovation.

While they were allowed to worship the Ayyanar in the village during
the festival, they could do it only during days when the Caste Hindus
do not visit.


------------------------------------

----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/

PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com

TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/

Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive