The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Kattapanchayat excommunicates five fishermen's families

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 10, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Kattapanchayat excommunicates five fishermen's families

A. Subramani

Reason: They refused to hand over cash and relief received The State Government banned kattapanchayats almost a year ago following Justice Karpagavinayagam's condemnation of the `nauseating practice', but it continues

MEN IN TRAUMA: P. Govindarajan and advocate K.Gopan of Nalla Thanneer Odaikuppam village near Tiruvottiyur. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Just over four kilometres from Madras High Court, the seat of justice instrumental for a legal ban on the kattapanchayat system in the State, five families of fishermen have been excommunicated, subjected to mental torture and threatened with more punishment by "panchayatdars."

On April 12, 2004, Justice M. Karpagavinayagam expressed dismay over the "nauseating practice" of kattapanchayats in Tamil Nadu, and suggested that the Government promulgate an Ordinance banning the practice altogether. Shortly thereafter, the Government banned it. But the menace refuses to die.

Five families of fishermen — which had already lost a family member and livelihood in the tsunami — remain excommunicated by the self-appointed fishermen panchayat of Nalla Thanneer Odaikuppam near Tiruvottiyur for the past two months. The reason: They refused to surrender to the panchayat the cash and material relief they received from various service organisations.

Since then, the family was putting up with all forms of humiliation, hoping the panchayatdars' anger would subside. During the period, no kuppam resident spoke to the excommunicated family members; shops refused to give them things; fellow fishermen were directed not to take them into their "net" for fishing and were warned against joining the nets of these five families.

Their sister, married into another family in the kuppam, spoke to them once. The panchayat asked her husband to pay Rs.5,000 as fine. It let her off later, but with a warning that another breach would attract a Rs.10,000 fine.

Fine for going to police

The kuppam residents were told anyone lodging a police complaint would be fined Rs. 10,000.

The family of advocate K. Gopal, who lost his father Kapali in the tsunami, too has been meted out the same treatment by the panchayat, which suspected that the advocate was attempting to take the issue to the police.

Unable to bear the mental torture, the two families went to lodge complaints twice. But the police counselled them to toe the panchayatdars' line and declined to register a case. Fearing bodily harm they met the jurisdiction Deputy Commissioner of Police and sought to lodge a complaint.

But police registered a case only after the Madras High Court Advocates Association president, S. Prabakaran, and over 20 advocates met the official and demanded action. For the past three days none of the male members of these families are visiting or staying in the kuppam, fearing for their life. It all started when a service agency gave a boat to Lalitha, daughter of the eldest brother of the excommunicated family. Her husband Sukumar (35) was swept away by the tsunami. His body could not be traced. Police registered only a case of "man-missing." The Government has extended no relief.

Another NGO distributed 75 fishing nets to fishermen through another member of the family.The panchayatdars claimed that donations were for the kuppam and asked the families to surrender all materials. They also alleged irregularities in the distribution of the nets and imposed a fine of Rs. 1.5 lakhs. However, P. Govindarajan and his four brothers refused to either pay the fine or return the relief materials. They were all excommunicated immediately.

Even Mr. Gopal was imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000, which was later revised to Rs. 40,000. Though he resisted the diktat, his aging-mother paid the fine to buy peace with the panchayatdars.

Police indifference to the social menace has left the affected families with no other option but to move the High Court again for relief, says advocate V. Kannadasan.

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