MADURAI: The 75-year-old struggle from Adi Dravidars Village from Thumakudu Village in Chellampatti Union in Madurai Regency has ended with the construction of crematoriums with compound walls and paver block lines.
Sundaram S, a village resident, said that before they faced many problems.
There was an incident of people from other communities that did not allow Dalit to use public roads to bring their dead.
“We have to navigate water in the knee in the village tank to reach the crematorium about half a kilometer away,” he said.
There are more than 500 families living in the village, around 200 families are Adi Dravidars.
Other families include callar, Chettiars and others.
President Panchayat from Thummakundu M o Perumal said that this was the promise of the poll that he gave the community during the election two years ago.
“I began to explore ways to fulfill that promise, but there was no land available.
Then two villagers, Saraswathy and her husband Chinnasamy, both from the community, advanced to contribute 12 cents on the ground near other crematoriums,” he said.
It was built at a cost of Rs 9.70 lakh and finished around a week ago.
Other communities in the village also welcome the development of crematoriums.
Previously, Adi Dravidars had to cremate their loved ones on the edge of the local tank, and it was a difficult task during the rainy season.
Now, our elders will get a decent funeral, say community members.