Is raising a question at gram sabha an offence, ask Dalit couple

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Special Correspondent
Madurai, September 28, 2015
For seven months, they have been living in an unsafe place
When the Dalit couple raised a question at the gram sabha meeting, they would never have imagined that they would be ostracised by the community.
Narrating their woes at a public hearing organised here by an NGO, Evidence, the couple – Lakshmi (35) and Paramasivam – from Kattunayakanpatti in Theni district, said that the police and the district administration had not taken any tangible action to date.
The police registered a case against the accused seven months ago, but had not arrested them.
Mr. Paramasivam raised a question at the gram sabha meeting held on January 26 on the manner in which expenses were made by the organisers for a local temple festival. Angered by this, Ramesh Babu, who claimed to be close to district-level All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionaries, threatened the couple and also ordered the others to keep them away from their hamlet, they said.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/is-raising-a-question-at-gram-sabha-an-offence-ask-dalit-couple/article7696168.ece