SALEM: Journalists were reportedly manhandled by some tribals from Vellakadai in Yercaud, when the former reached the place for coverage of the controversial naked dance ritual’ performed by tribal women. The journalists could make their escape only after police intervention.
While a TV anchorman and a few reporters managed to give the slip to tribals, the reporter of a Tamil Daily and its photographer were able to leave the spot only after the police intervened.
Salem SP R Arumugam on hearing the news, deployed a large posse of police personnel, headed by a DSP, at Vellakadai. A riot control vehicle was also sent to the place. This ritual used to be conducted every year two days after Karinal’ as part of Pongal celebrations to honour the deities Kalliamman and Mariamman.
Unlike what happened over the last four years, a committee of women officials from the Departments of Revenue, Rural Development and the police was not present to monitor the ritual or the programmes held between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm.
The members used to take video clippings and still photographs of the events from dawn to dusk, based on which a report was sent to the Collector. After 2002, though no nude ritual’ reportedly took place in the village, the VAO’s office and people from neighbouring villages still harboured suspicion that the ritual might have been held secretly.
RDO Selvaraj said that the committee was formed this year, but only woman tahsildar Jeeva Rathinam attended the ritual on Wednesday. Women officials from the Departments of Revenue and Police did not keep a tab on the activities of the tribals as in the past.
While the RDO had gone to attend a mass contact camp, Yercaud police Inspector Arjunan had been summoned by a court in Salem.
The roughed-up journalists felt that it was due to official apathy that they had to suffer at the hands of the tribals. On Tuesday, the tribals locked horns with Tahsildhar Jeevarathinam, who instructed them to allow visitors so that speculations on the ritual’ would die down. But they disagreed as they feared that breaking such a tradition would not bode well to the village.
The RDO held talks with the tribals in the evening after things had died down. The journalists were then able to interview the reluctant tribals. The officials version was that no nude ritual had taken place on Wednesday.
