In Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, a disturbing case of caste-based discrimination has come to light from Kollangarai village, where Dalit schoolchildren were obstructed from using a common mud lane on their way to school. The incident, captured on video, shows an elderly woman wielding a stick to block the path of the children. A young man accompanying the students is seen pushing the stick aside and continuing along the lane, defying her attempts to stop them.
The act has sparked widespread outrage after reports revealed that the woman allegedly used the derogatory term “eliya saathi”—a casteist slur against Dalits—while barring the children’s passage. Chellakannu, state president of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, condemned the act as a blatant reminder of how caste prejudices continue to surface in rural life.
The mud lane in question is officially designated as a “vandi paathai” (vehicle path), making it a common access route. However, villagers had recently encroached upon it by planting banana saplings, which forced Dalit students to take a detour of nearly 1.5 km around a waterbody for 18 days. Youth from the area finally intervened, restoring the route for the children to use.
It later emerged that local authorities had already been informed of the illegal encroachment nearly three months earlier, but had failed to act until pressure from activists and villagers escalated the issue. Only after the intervention of the Tahsildar was the path restored.
The police have begun an enquiry into the matter, though no FIR has yet been registered. The incident underscores persistent challenges around caste discrimination and access to common resources, reigniting debates on social equity and accountability of local authorities in safeguarding the rights of marginalized communities.
