Dalit residents in Coimbatore allege caste bias as TNSTC omits Anna Nagar bus stop, forcing 1 km walk
मुख्य बातें
- •Over 300 Scheduled Caste families in Anna Nagar, Coimbatore, allege TNSTC removed the Anna Nagar bus stop, forcing a 1 km walk to Kempanur bus stop.
- •Residents say the omission exposes them to risks such as wild animal attacks while walking through isolated areas.
- •Kempanur residents, belonging to an intermediary caste, had protested earlier, claiming Anna Nagar passengers took up most seats on limited buses.
- •DVK has petitioned the district administration; Minister Vanni Arasu has urged action; TNSTC says it is examining the issue.
Coimbatore, June 2, 2026: Residents of Anna Nagar, a predominantly Scheduled Caste (SC) locality near Kempanur in Thondamuthur, have accused the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) of practising caste discrimination by withdrawing bus stop services at Anna Nagar. The move has forced over 300 families—comprising students, daily-wage labourers, women, and elderly persons—to walk nearly a kilometre to the nearest bus stop at Kempanur every day.
The Dravida Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK), Coimbatore unit, has taken up the issue, alleging that the withdrawal of the Anna Nagar stop is a deliberate attempt to marginalise the SC community. Functionaries of the outfit stated that the affected families, who primarily depend on public transport to commute to Coimbatore city, are now exposed to risks such as attacks by wild animals and reptiles while walking through poorly lit and isolated stretches.
