A Dalit senior citizen was brutally beaten up, which led to his death due to internal bleeding and other complications, by a CPI(M) leader at Kodakkad in Kasargod district of Kerala. The victim, Thampan, had sustained serious injuries which resulted in his death, according to his wife. The incident had sparked a huge outrage in the locality and people have formed an action group seeking justice for Thampan.
Meanwhile, the Cheemeni police have registered a case against Manoharan Master, local CPI(M) leader. According to locals, Manoharan is a local goonda and a history sheeter. According to locals, Thampan was beaten up for purchasing one kilo of jaggery to be used for preparation of payasam (kheer). The Communist leader thought that he had purchased the jaggery for brewing alcohol. But another local said Manoharan had a grudge against the old man because he did not give the CPI(M) leader his cut from Thampan’s old age pension.
“After he was bashed up badly by Manoharan Master, my husband could not eat anything. There were swelling on his body and he bled,” said an inconsolable wife.
According to an estimate, Kerala has witnessed highest number of atrocities against Dalits. Most of these happened during the Pinarayi Vijayan regime. In many cases, like the Walayar Dalit minors’ rape-murder case, CPI(M) local leaders were arrested. Ever since Pinarayi Vijayan became chief minister about 34 custodial death cases have been registered. More than four victims in the custodial death case were Dalits. Ironically, CPI(M), which has so far not appointed a Dalit in its highest decision-making body of Politburo, is most vocal about ‘Dalit rights’.
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