Tamil Nadu commission seeks report on alleged caste discrimination at burial

The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Communities has ordered Erode officials to report by October 30 on alleged caste discrimination during a burial. It also wants an account of disciplinary action against officials accused of failing to prevent the incident.

The notice, issued on October 9 and reported by The Hindu on October 10, concerns the burial of Chenni in Perumbali village near Perundurai. He died of age-related ailments on October 5.

The commission said it had considered footage carried in newspaper reports, on television and on social media, alongside petitions from representatives of various organisations.

According to the notice, members of a dominant caste community objected to burying a Scheduled Caste man in the village's public cemetery. His relatives argued that the cemetery was open to all communities.

The commission described allegations that those opposing the burial demanded that the relatives fall at their feet before allowing it. Two Scheduled Caste community members allegedly did so in the presence of police and Revenue Department officials.

Concerned by the officials' alleged failure to intervene, the commission said the episode raised serious human rights issues. It described obstruction of the burial as illegal and said the alleged conduct engaged constitutional protections and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The commission directed the Erode Collector and Superintendent of Police to take appropriate action under that law against those involved and submit a detailed report by October 30. It separately requested details of disciplinary action against police and Revenue Department officials accused of failing to take preventive measures.