The Hindu : `Panel won't help in conducting bypoll in reserved panchayats'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Panel won't help in conducting bypoll in reserved panchayats'

By S. Dorairaj

MADURAI SEPT. 16. Two Dalit parties - Puthia Tamizhagam and Dalit Panthers of India - and the All-India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam (AIMMK), an outfit of Mukkulathors, have expressed apprehension about the efficacy of the high-power committee constituted by the State Government to create a congenial atmosphere in four villages, including Pappapatti and Keeripatti, where byelections for panchayats reserved for Dalits are slated for October 9.

The DPI leader, T. Tirumavalavan, contacted over phone, told The Hindu here today that the nine-member panel, headed by the PWD Minister, O. Paneerselvam, was "stuffed with" AIADMK legislators. The only exception was L. Santhanam, All-India Forward Bloc MLA, but he too was "pro-AIADMK."

Though the idea of sending a high-power committee to the villages was welcome, the panel should comprise representatives of different parties including the DPI, the PT, the Congress, the CPI(M) and the CPI, which had expressed concern over the failure to form an elected body in Pappapatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam and Kottakachiyendal, said Mr. Tirumavalavan.

The PT president, K. Krishnasamy, said his party rejected the committee outright. The Government should resort to sincere measures to enforce the law instead of attempting to appease the "oppressive forces." He took exception to the Government's ``feigned seriousness,'' instead of allowing the completion of the natural election process in the reserved panchayats even after more than six years of the Melavalavu (near Melur in Madurai district) massacre.

Urging the Government to make efforts to empower the Dalits, by distributing land to them, he said sending the panel to these villages amounted to justifying atrocities unleashed on them all these years.

The AIMMK founder president, N. Sethuraman, described as an ``eyewash'' the constitution of the committee. Addressing a press conference here, he said the Government was not keen on promoting harmony between the Dalits and non-Dalits in the four villages, where elected bodies could not be formed effectively.

He urged the Chief Minister to quit if she was not able to fulfil her constitutional responsibility to see that the election process was completed in these reserved panchayats and bring to book the persons who hampered the process.

He accused the AIADMK of attempting to keep the two communities in perpetual enmity, even while certain outfits on both sides crossed swords. In view of the prevailing situation, the committee would not serve any purpose; the move was only aimed at ``hoodwinking'' the Dalits and the non-Dalits. The Government should have initiated an open debate on the circumstances under which the Pappapatti panchayat president resigned after his election last time.

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`Panel won't help in conducting bypoll in reserved panchayats'