New Delhi, August 21st, 2012

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that 50 houses in village Velayuthapuram, Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu belonging to Scheduled Caste community are enclosed with a barbed fence that separate it from the other parts of the village.

The Commission today observed that the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of Dalits, and issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu to submit a report in the matter within four weeks.

Allegedly, the members of the Scheduled Caste community residing in these 50 houses have been leading isolated lives, besides having no basic facilities like sanitation and water. Rettiars, who own all the agricultural land in Velayuthapuram, do not employ the Scheduled Castes and hence they travel to other villages to find work.

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