Social ReformDMK-AIADMK alternation

Uthapuram caste violence and the 'untouchability wall'

· Uthapuram

After caste violence in Uthapuram near Madurai in 1989, caste Hindus built a wall separating the Dalit area of the village.

Uthapuram, a village in Madurai district, saw caste violence between Dalits and caste Hindus in 1948, 1964 and 1989. After the 1989 violence, caste Hindus built a wall that segregated the Dalit settlement from the rest of the village. Dalits were also prevented from entering the local temple. The structure came to be called the 'wall of untouchability' and was the target of protests by Dalit organisations and the CPI(M)'s Untouchability Eradication Front. In May 2008 the district administration demolished part of the wall.

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