900 caste Hindu peasants in Tamil Nadu boycott a ballot about the division of drinking water supplies to SCs

The scheduled caste population in Alavanthakulam village, which receives water from a separate pipeline, is the reason given by more than 900 members of the Hindu caste community in Nellaithiruthu village in the Tirunelveli constituency for their boycott of the Lok Sabha election.

One public well that was shared by the caste Hindus of Nellaithiruthu and the SC people of Alavanthakulam villages provided drinking water via a single conduit. The residents of Alavanthankulam did not have access to enough water, whereas those in Nellaithiruthu did. The concerned authorities tried to install a different pipeline to Alavanthankulam a few months ago. The residents of Nellaithiruthu, who had objected to the construction of a second pipeline, were displeased by this. However, local body authorities had successfully laid the pipeline to Alavanthankulam with the assistance of around 200 police officers.

The inhabitants of Nellaithiruthu were upset by this incidence. Because of this, around 900 peasants from an intermediate caste abstained from Friday’s poll.

A Nellaithiruthu resident named M Pauldurai informed TNIE that his community was experiencing a drinking water deficit as a result of the separate connection to Alavanthankulam. In the meanwhile, more than a thousand people from K Karisalkulam village in Tenkasi constituency abstained from voting, claiming inadequate street lighting, drainage, and road infrastructure. In addition, the locals said that in spite of repeated demands, the government had not taken down a liquor store close to their hamlet. Furthermore, in opposition to the operation of a stone quarry next to their village, more than 1,000 voters in the Tenkasi seat of Irumankulam village boycotted the election.