The CPI(M)and, its sympathiser, "The Hindu" newspaper stirred up this fresh controversy in an otherwise peaceful village of Uthapuram. The Hindu twisted not only the facts about the "wall", but also doctored the photo of a supposedly "electrified" section of the wall. The fact is, they were normal Electricity Board wires, nothing to do with the wall. The angle of the photo published had employed an "optical illusion" to make it look as though the wires are on the wall. In any case a fully insulated wire on a wall is not "electrifying" the wall.
Ganesh, the author of this piece observes, this village is "like any other village in TamilNadu". The two communities co-operate in a number of ways to keep life going. Only when the Bollywood-inspired youngmen start saying vulgar things to the girls of the other community, trouble starts.
As someone familiar with such villages, I think that since the 1960s there have been attempts by various political entities to disturb village life - only for their political gain. Caste fights were a rarity, still are a rarity, in the villages of TamilNadu. Each caste minds its own business yet co-operates with other castes for the benefit of the village as a whole. There was fairness in most village conventions. I agree some conventions and practices were bad. Those have been gradually dropped.
The Dalits are, naturally, sensitive. They were ill-treated. However, now they are powerful politically. They can fight back easily.
