Chennai, Aug 29:
The Tamil Nadu government will provide a Rs 10 lakh reward to village panchayats that maintain common burial grounds without caste-based segregation, Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu announced in the Assembly on Friday.
Replying to the demands for grants for the Social Justice Department, the minister said villages that had ensured equal access to burial grounds would be encouraged through financial incentives.
He also announced that special attention would be given to villages where caste-related conflicts were frequently reported.
Melavalavu village in Madurai district’s Melur taluk has been identified for special attention this year, he said.
The minister said steps would be taken to transform Melavalavu into a village free from caste-based violence and announced the establishment of an Ambedkar reading room there.
Melavalavu has remained associated with caste violence for years, making it a significant location for the government’s proposed social justice interventions.
Vanni Arasu also announced that a new community welfare centre would be constructed at Ekanapuram in response to the demands of local residents.
Beginning his Assembly speech on an emotional note, the minister spoke about his political journey and his association with VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan.
He recalled that slogans demanding his arrest had once been raised in the Assembly and said he had now been given a place in the same House as a Minister.
He also thanked Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for campaigning for him during the elections.
Vanni Arasu said his entry into politics was not motivated by office or rewards and asserted that Dalits had the constitutional right to contest elections from all 234 Assembly constituencies, irrespective of whether a seat was reserved.
The announcements on common burial grounds and the special focus on caste-sensitive villages are part of the government’s stated effort to address social discrimination at the grassroots level.