Coimbatore: Hundreds of Dalits in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu converted to Islam claiming that they faced casteist ‘discrimination’ by locals. The mass conversions took place in response to alleged discrimination against them, even to the extent that some were not allowed to carry their dead ones to a burial ground.

The group claimed that they reached the breaking point on December 2, when a wall, locally referred to as ‘untouchability wall’ collapsed in Mettupalayam, killing 17 Dalits.

“My name is Madhan but now my name is Sulaiman. Why I converted is because I’m seeing people from my community being discriminated on a daily basis.

The kind of words that they use against us and their attitude, I’m convinced that they will not allow us to progress. We found a sense of equality and brotherhood in Islam and I’ve converted to it,” Sulaiman, one of the Dalits – earlier Madhan – told Times Now.

“They don’t consider me as a different caste person. They see me as one among them. They are ready to come to our home. They don’t think I belong to any caste. They say I’m a Muslim and they lend their hand to help me,” said Muhammad Rahman, earlier known as one Ajit Kumar.

Nilavenil, General Secretary of Tamil Puligal, a pro-Dalit organisation claimed that they decided to convert to Islam so as to get free from the clutches of casteism. Nilavenil claimed that about 3000 people were ready to convert to Islam, while 450 have already converted.

“I wanted to lose my identity which is attached to the caste. I want to get rid of the derogatory names they call us such as Chakliyan, Pallan or Paraiyan because of my caste. So to gain self-respect, we decided to leave the Hindu religion and we started this movement. Until now, nearly 430 people have undergone conversion,” Nilavenil said.

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