Thanks. - Mukundan
On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 your SAVAD wrote :
>dear comrades,
>here with attaching my new article in MADHYAMAM
>it is abt the Keeripatti village a Reserved Dalit Panchayat in
>Madurai District of Tamilnadu where local body
> elections have not been successful for the past 9 years
>
>for non malayali members in our group i am sending
> Background to the case:( from anivar's letter on public hearing)
>
>In 1996, the Tamil Nadu Government announced the Papapatti,
> Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam, Melavalvu and Kottakachiyenthal
> panchayats as reserved constituencies within the rotating system
> envisaged under both the 73rd and 74th Amendment to the
> Constitution (1992) and the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Rules (1995).
> The designation was immediately protested by the caste Hindus
> living in these areas. They promised to boycott elections until
> the panchayat is dereserved and threatened to ostracize any Dalit
> who participated in elections or submitted a nomination. However,
> its was Murugesan who challenged the caste Hindus and not only
> filed his nomination in Melavalavu village but got elected and
> then was finally butchered to death along with 6 others when he
> was beheaded for his act of defying them and getting elected to
> the local body. Out of fear for their lives and livelihoods,
> members of the Scheduled Caste communitynumbering some 300 out
> of 1,600 villagersforfeited their democratic rights, in the
> remaining 4 villages - answering these threats with silent
> compliance. Nine by-elections passed with no single nomination or
> successful nomination and still the Government refused to take
> heed of a manifest instance of voter intimidation and casteist
> perversion of the democratic process.
>
> In this way, from 1996 to 2001, no local by-elections were
> heldbecause no Dalit candidate would dare step forward for the
> post of Panchayat President or a ward member ( both reserved) .
> Meanwhile, encouraged by official complacency, caste Hindus
> intensified daily discriminatory practices such as well-water
> access, entrance to the village temple, verbal abuse, and sexual
> assault.
>
> At last in 2002, on the occasion of the tenth by-elections, a
> Dalit candidate came forward to contest with the support of the
> Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) one of the joint organizers of this
>proposed National Public Hearing . The local caste Hindu
> community was shockedand outraged. They quickly nominated their
> own candidate, threatened that any villager voting for the other
> entrant would be ostracized and driven from the village, and
> barred campaigning of all kinds. When the DPI candidate announced
> his intention to campaign and requested protection from the
> district administration, his appeal was ignored until the very
> last day. Under the cover of this nominal "protection," he was
> pelted with rocks and slippers as he campaigned through the
> village, while the police officials stood by and watched. In this
> environment of intimidation the puppet candidate was elected
> Panchayat President. And, under orders from the village's caste
> Hindus, he submitted his resignation from the post the next day.
> This sequence of events has been repeated, more or less, in every
> set of by-elections since that time.
>
> Again on 31.03.05 the State Election Commission announced that
> the elections would be held to the above said reserve panchayats
> on 19.04.05. Candidates filed their nominations in Keeripatti and
> Pappatti. Elections were boycotted in Nattarmangalam. On
> 12.04.05 Mr. P. Naraisingam (52 Yrs) who filed his nominations
> for the post of panchayat president in Pappapatti died under
> suspicious circumstances. Hence the bye elections were announced
> to be held on 27.05.05.
> Meanwhile the common candidate Mr. Azhagumalai, contested for the
> post of panchayat president in Keeripatti won the elections.
> After assuming charge, he submitted his resignation. Following
> this more than fifteen Dalit families in Keeripatti village who
> caste their vote to the DPI candidate have been made to suffer a
> brutal social boycott by caste Hindus. The Government's refusal to
> enforce these rights across the previous nine years stands as
> nothing less than abdication of its first responsibility which is
> in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under our
> constitution.
>
>loving
>savad
>--
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"If we fight, we may not always win,
>but if we don't fight, we will surely lose."
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>SAVAD RAHMAN
> subeditor,MADHYAMAM daily,
> pooppalam, perinthalmanna,kerala,
> india
> cell:(91)-9846085873
3, Rams' Cottage
Ambalathumukku
Pettah
Thiruvananthapuram-695024
Kerala
South India
Ph.: 0471-2476262
www.humanrightsindia.com
www.humanrightskerala.com
