DYFI Leader Hacked to Death in Tirunelveli Allegedly by Caste Fanatics

Chennai: Ashok, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Tirunelveli district treasurer, was hacked to death allegedly by caste Hindu fanatics on Wednesday night. Later, his family members and DYFI activists blocked traffic on the Tirunelveli–Madurai national highway demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. DYFI Tamil Nadu state committee also called for state-wide protest against the killing.

Ashok belonged to dalit community and had been working in the industrial area run by State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) in Gangaikondan. He was reportedly attacked while disembarking a bus after returning from work. The attackers threw his body on the nearby railway track before fleeing the scene. Ashok’s family members have refused to receive his mortal remains till stern action is taken action against the killers.

The dalit community in the region has to walk through the settlement of the dominant maravar caste people to reach the fields for work. According to local sources, certain people belonging to the maravar community had been frequently abusing the dalit workers and women when they walked through the streets for work. Most of the dalit women in the village are agricultural labourers. Some youth, including Ashok, reportedly objected to the abusers and asked them to stop their communal remarks.

Irked by this, the ‘abusers’ reportedly attacked Ashok and his mother Avudaiammal last month while they were returning home after gathering feed for their cattle from the fields. Both were injured and were admitted for treatment in a local hospital. A complaint was also lodged in the local police station regarding the attack. But the police was apathetic, say sources, and instead filed a case against the complainants. The DYFI had condemned this ‘partial’ attitude of the police department and inaction against the culprits.

Tirunelveli district, which was once known for communal tension, has been fast returning to normalcy, but this incident come as a shocker. The DYFI and Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres have demanded that the district administration take immediate action against such “cruel crimes” against people belonging to the dalit and oppressed communities.