Karnataka - Mysore   

NGO alleges abduction of candidates during panchayat polls

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, MARCH 15. Development Thru Education (DEED), a non-governmental organisation working on tribal issues, has alleged that many tribal candidates contesting for the post of president and vice-president of gram panchayats were abducted in Hunsur and other places during the recently held gram panchayat elections.

In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, Kumar G. Naik, and the Superintendent of Police, Vipul Kumar, copies of which were released to the press, DEED pointed out that a few persons from one or two families in the constituency were selected from among the "Parivar Nayak" backward community to contest the elections for posts reserved for Scheduled Tribes in predominantly tribal areas such as the Doddahejjur Gram Panchayat, the Neralakuppe Gram Panchayat and the Hangod Gram Panchayat.

Tribal people affected

This, it said, deprived genuine tribal people a chance to contest the elections.

It said farming communities and members of Scheduled Castes joined hands and marginalised tribal people in multi-cornered contests as a result of which tribal people lost eight seats in Hunsur taluk. This will affect the tribal people exercising their rights as well as it has robbed them of their political right to contest the elections, the organisation said.

In H.D. Kote taluk, the Odiga Gowda community members obtained certificates that they were Bedas (a Scheduled Tribes) and contested the elections, depriving tribal people of their due.

DEED said some tribal women in the Doddahejjur Gram Panchayat constituency, and some members in the Billenahosahally, Neralakuppe, Bharatwadi, Kolavige and Dharmapura gram panchayats went missing and the community leaders are expected to file cases in this regard with the police shortly.

Candidates kidnapped

It alleged that some tribal candidates have been kidnapped by vested interests to get votes in favour of their candidates.

Hence, DEED has urged the district administration to trace the missing persons and provide protection to the tribal women members.

Commission sought

It has also demanded that a commission be appointed to study the abduction and kidnapping incidents and secure justice to the victims of such atrocities.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Corporation's move on hoardings raises eyebrows
Only jewellery sold as brands to attract excise duty
NGO alleges abduction of candidates during panchayat polls
Second Hutch shop in Mysore opened

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu