The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : PIL petition against de-reserving panchayats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 25, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

PIL petition against de-reserving panchayats

Special Correspondent

"Move will render principle of reservation an empty formality"

CHENNAI: A public interest litigation petition seeking to restrain the Government from de-reserving four panchayats — Pappapatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam in Madurai district and Kottakatchiyendal in Virudhunagar district — for the next round of civic polls has been filed in the Madras High Court.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice D. Murugesan, before which the petition filed by the leader of Dalit Panthers of India Thol. Thirumavalavan and four others came up for admission, ordered notices to the respondents including Rural Development and Local Administration Secretary as well as the State Election Commissioner.

Describing how Scheduled Caste candidates were either repeatedly prevented from filing nominations or forced to resign immediately after their election all these years, the petitioners said the Government had failed to conduct elections to these panchayats in a fair and democratic manner.

Referring to the provision that panchayats were reserved for SCs and STs for 10 years by rotation, the petitioners said, "although these four panchayats have been reserved for SCs and STs, in reality no SC/ST candidate actually functioned in reserved posts. The reservation existed only on paper." Under these circumstances, de-reserving them for the next round of elections would render the whole principle of reservation an "empty formality and a farce."

Since 2001, the Government has been issuing Ordinances providing for the appointment of Special Officers to these panchayats, they said. adding, "It is unfortunate that even 55 years after the commencement of the Constitution, the State Government is unable to put down caste discrimination and atrocities against members of the SC/ST." The failure on the part of the Government amounted to atrocity as defined in the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, they submitted.

They prayed for the quashing of the ordinances appointing Special Officers and sought to restrain the Government from de-reserving the four panchayats.

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

Tamil Nadu