The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Public hearing on Dalits' `plight'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Public hearing on Dalits' `plight'

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: : The Dalit Panthers of India (DPI), along with some non-governmental organisations, will hold a national public hearing here on June 14 on the problems being faced by the Dalits, especially those in the reserved village panchayats of Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Natarmangalam.

Speaking to presspersons here on Thursday, DPI general secretary Thol. Thirumavalavan said the `shameful incidents', preventing elections in these village panchayats for nearly a decade, necessitated the hearing, in which retired judicial officials and human rights activists would participate.

DPI convention

The hearing was to ascertain the plight of the Dalits who failed to gain recognition and elicit their support to take part in elections. The DPI would convene an all-party convention in Chennai on June 30 to chalk out a plan for initiating remedial measures.

Mr. Thirumavalavan wanted the Usilampatti area in Madurai district to be declared atrocity-prone area. The Dalits of Kaduvetti in Usilampatti were subjected to intimidation, and their property was looted.

Instead of initiating action against the perpetrators of the crime, the police foisted cases on the Dalits and arrested 14 of them.

He demanded compensation for the affected Dalits and action under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Atrocities (Prevention) Act against the perpetrators of violence.

`Jail bharo'

Mr. Thirumavalavan said members of the Tamil Protection Movement, of which the DPI is a constituent, would hold a jail bharo agitation on November 1 demanding that the name boards of commercial establishments be displayed in Tamil.

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