Alappuzha district has been reeling under severe flooding with over 200 relief camps set up
The Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha, the state's largest Dalit organisation, has complained to the Chief Minister and Alappuzha district collector alleging discrimination by a group of Christians at a relief camp.
"The Christians refused to eat with us saying they can't eat the food we cooked. They did this twice and moved away to another camp. But they humiliated us and called us names," said Tinu Vijayan, member of the Dalit community staying at the camp.
People from both communities live together in the same locality of Pallipad panchayat.
The district collector of Alappuzha S Suhas has asked the police to investigate the allegations and file a report.
"The preliminary probe showed rivalry between two people at the camp resulted in a section leaving the camp. Religion or caste didn't appear to be the trigger," sources said.
But according to local campers from the Dalit community, the alleged caste based discrimination happened on July 18 and even the next day, the Christians who had left the camp, came back asking to divide the fresh relief supplies that had come in.
Alappuzha district has been reeling under severe flooding with over 200 relief camps set up and around 84,000 people evacuated to these relief camps.