SC residents of Thalugai panchayat in Tiruchi district seek recognition for burial ground, cremation facility

Burial ground used by the Scheduled Caste residents in T. Mangapatti Puthur village in Thalugai panchayat in Tiruchi. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The residents of T. Mangapatti Puthur, a Scheduled Caste hamlet in Thalugai panchayat in Tiruchi district, have demanded official recognition for and basic infrastructure at a burial ground that was temporarily allotted to them last year.

Thalugai panchayat comprises five villages, among which T. Mangapatti Puthur has around 50 SC families. For decades, the hamlet did not have a designated burial ground, unlike other communities in the panchayat. Residents had been conducting last rites along the banks of the Thalugai water channel, a practice, they say, undermines their dignity and often led to disputes.

Following sustained petitions and protests, a portion of land near an unused pond was allotted to the community last year as a temporary burial site. However, the spot has not been officially recorded in village revenue records.

Speaking to The Hindu, R. Sundarraj, a resident, said: “For ages, we had no land to bury our loved ones unlike other communities. We were forced to use the edge of a water channel. Now that we have a place, we want it to be officially recognised so that no one can dispute it in the future.”

G. Ramesh, Rural District Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), urged the district administration to act on the residents’ demands. The residents have called for a protective wall around the burial ground and the establishment of a cremation facility within it. “A well-defined, properly maintained space will ensure dignity during last rites,” he said.

An official from the Rural Development department said they would look into the issue.

Published - May 31, 2025 08:42 pm IST