Director Karu Pazhanaiappan said that the #MeToo is a problem of the privileged, one which they can solve between themselves. He further called out the media for its apparent apathy in reporting atrocities against the oppressed and marginalised.
Speaking at the audio launch of Rajavukku Raja on Tuesday, the director said, “Today everyone is talking about #MeToo. Has anyone spoken about the brutality meted out to a 14 year old girl? Has anyone spoke about the injustice that happened to Rajalakshmi? #MeToo is a problem of the privileged, the rich. They will solve the problem themselves. Has any media outlet, currently focusing on #MeToo, come out to talk about the injustice happening to the marginalized? They only see it as common, regular occurrence.”
Rajalakshmi, a 14 year old Dalit girl, was beheaded by her neighbour on Monday at her house, near Salem in Tamil Nadu. The incident took place on Monday evening, at around 7.30pm when Rajalakshmi and her mother Chinnaponnu were alone at their house. Dinesh Kumar, a neighbour who was a machine operator at a rice mill, entered their house with a sickle and allegedly beheaded Rajalakshmi in front of her mother’s eyes. He then picked up the head and stormed out of the house, flung it far away from the house and ran to his house.
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A senior police official told The News Minute that the motive behind the murder has not been established. He said, “We have secured the accused and have registered an FIR against him under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act since Dinesh is from a dominant caste (Mudhaliyar) and the victim belonged to Scheduled Caste. We have also registered a case under section 302 (Murder) of the IPC.”
“Prima facie, it doesn’t seem like a sexual crime, since there was no other bodily injuries on the victim other than the cut on her neck. This has been confirmed in the autopsy as well. In fact, both families were friendly till the incident happened, as far as preliminary inquiries tell us.” He added.