M Aruloli/ENS
 
Madurai, May 7: The state machinery on Tuesday took a step to try and bridge a nearly 20-year concrete divide in Uthapuram. Nearly 1,200 police personnel kept watch as the district administration demolished a portion of the wall segregating two communities in the village.

The effort aims at making way for the Dalits of Uthapuram. Anticipating the demolition, caste Hindus vacated the village on Monday night and camped at a hillock nearby.

The wall came up in 1989 after an agreement between leaders of two communities — the Dalits and the Pillaimars — following a riot in August 1989. Nearly 20 years later, the CPI(M) demanded its demolition to end discrimination against Dalits. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat was scheduled to visit the village on Wednesday.

The ball was set rolling and after receiving State Government orders to demolish about 100ft of the wall built encroaching a public path, senior administration and police officials camped at the village on Monday and began preparations for the wall’s demolition. Nearly 15ft of the wall was pulled down in the first phase of demolition.

The police also constructed a gravel road for Dalits to reach the other side. Collector S S Jawahar said since 100ft of the wall was built encroaching the public path, it was decided to dismantle the portion. Denying the reported electrification of the wall and that the entire 600ft wall was built on government wasteland, he said the drive was not directed against any particular community.