What went viral recently in Tamil Nadu and was shown on television in most parts of India, has sent shock waves throughout the State, and also inviting national attention --- a very young Dalit man was murdered by three hired rowdies in broad daylight, in a busy area of Udumalpet, a small town near Coimbatore city. His only sin was that he fell in love with a girl belonging to the backward community called Thevar. It is now clear that the girl's father has himself organized the crime. He and those involved have been arrested.
But the husband is gone, and the girl has just survived death. What is the use of modern education and liberal views, if we are not able to digest the uprising of Dalit youth? What is wrong in their falling in love with girls of so called upper castes?
How do we go about changing society and its views on this vital issue? How can we encourage love marriages?