http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Women+perform+last+rites,+bury+body&artid=/h7ohH5XVGQ=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO=
Women perform last rites, bury body Express News Service First Published : 10 Oct 2008 01:55:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 10 Oct 2008 07:36:48 AM ISTPERAYUR: In the absence of men, who had fled the village fearing arrest, the women of Uthapuram village near Usilampatti in Madurai district, took the initiative and performed the funeral rituals for a dead woman, took her body to the graveyard and buried it on Wednesday. Uthapuram village hogged the headlines in the media a couple of months ago following the demand by the Dalits to demolish the 'wall of untouchability' erected by another community. The CPM took up the issue and its general secretary Prakash Karat came to Madurai to lead the campaign for demolition of the wall. The district administration pulled down the wall. Though the wall was demolished, the feeling of hatred continued to simmer. Last week, when the upper caste Hindus were trying to paint the village temple to perform 'kumbabishekam', it was opposed by the Dalits. This led to a quarrel in which country bombs were hurled at each other. Police intervened and all the men from both communities fled the village, fearing arrest. Meanwhile, Chitra, 22, daughter of Periyasamy, who was ill for sometime, died on Wednesday. Periyasamy and his two sons were also absconding fearing arrests and there were no men to carry the body of Chitra to the burial ground. Police had offered to send four men to carry the body which was turned down by the women. Unfazed, the Dalit women themselves performed the last rites for Chitra, placed her body in the village hearse and took it to the graveyard where some of them had dug the grave. The body was interred in the grave. One of the women, Panchavarnam, complained that even the father of the dead woman and her brothers had been prevented from attending the funeral. But police said that the men were not prevented from coming to the village. Meanwhile, police have banned the 'kumbabishekam' ceremony of Muthalamman temple in Uthapuram which was scheduled to take place this week. Members of the Pillaimar community who had arranged for the 'kumbabishekam' sought permission saying that the village had incurred the wrath of the deity, as arrangements had been made for the ceremony. At a peace committee meeting presided over by Usilampatti tahsildar Appavoo, Superintendent of Police Manoharan said that in view of the tense situation prevailing in the village, the ceremony could not be permitted. Police had also imposed a ban order. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
