The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Seven years on, Dalits still live in fear

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 15, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Seven years on, Dalits still live in fear

By J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar

MADURAI, NOV. 14. Dalits in Melavalavu, Keeripatti, Pappapatti and Nattarmangalam have one thing in common - they still live in constant fear of violence and oppression.

"Though the Melavalavu massacre took place seven years ago, Dalits, especially the brother of K. Murugesan, still live in fear. There is no safety or security," claims the Dalit Panthers of India general secretary, Thol Tirumavalavan.

Violence against them and oppression have been the two ugly facets of their lives and there has not been any visible economic or social development among the Dalits in the State, particularly in the southern districts, say social workers.

The Melavalavu massacre, in which seven Dalits, including panchayat president, Murugesan, were killed, is still fresh in the minds of the Dalits. They have demanded the authorities provide protection to Mr. Karuppiah, brother of Murugesan.

"Dalits are still oppressed and lack even basic comforts. They cannot exercise their due rights," says a social activist. Political parties ought to be blamed for treating them as `mere vote bank,' he adds.

Referring to the Melavalavu incident, Mr. Tirumavalavan said that had the police and revenue authorities acted swiftly, the massacre could have been averted.

"The authorities are still indifferent to the plight of Dalits. They have only detained several DPI members under the Goondas Act under the pretext of possessing ganja."

Silence flayed

He regretted that the political parties in the State remained "silent on the crucial issues confronting Dalits and had done little to uplift them economically." Mr. Thirumavalavan claimed that there was no point in holding elections in the five Dalit village panchayats including Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattarmangalam in Madurai district, as long as the Dalits were isolated from the mainstream. "If the State Government was really concerned about holding elections, it should, in the first place, create a congenial atmosphere in the Dalit villages."

Devolution of powers in the spirit of Panchayat Raj would be a reality only when Dalits were made to participate in elections without fear, he added.

Agreeing that the conduct of local bodies elections to Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattarmangalam in Madurai district, Kottakatchiyendal in Virudhunagar district and Thottadoddi in Namakkal district, was essential to implement the Government's welfare schemes for the people, sources in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the efforts to hold elections till date did not yield desired results as Dalits did not participate.

Speaking to The Hindu , the CPI (M) sources blamed the political parties for "not taking the risk of solving Dalit issues for fear of losing the votes of caste Hindus."

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