Following reports in the local media about the wall, which was erected after the 1989 riots between the Dalits and upper caste Pillaimars to prevent the Dalits’ incursions in the night, political parties including the CPM took up the cudgels on behalf of the Dalits.
Enraged over this, over 300 Pillaimars marched to the district collectorate and surrendered their ration cards.As a compromise, the Dalits demanded a path and Pillaimars asked for protection. As a result the officials demolished a portion of the wall to provide a pathway to the Dalits.
Following this, all the 250 Pillaimar families moved to the foothills.
The local tahsildar and the district superintendent of police met the villagers on Wednesday evening. However, the villagers refused to return home and wanted Madurai district collector S S Jawahar to visit them.
DC Jawahar told Deccan Herald, that he was willing to meet the villagers and consider their demands. The DC said as a measure of protection to the Pillaimars, order to open a police outpost has been given.
