Rights fora step up pressure for poll in Madurai villages


By The Hindu

MADURAI, NOV. 27. Human rights fora and Dalit activists have started exerting pressure on the Tamil Nadu Government to initiate action for the conduct of `free and fair' elections in the reserved village panchayats of Papparapatti, Keeripatti and Nattarmangalam in Madurai district.

Local bodies elections could not be held there as caste Hindus decided to boycott the polls to protest the Government's ``failure'' to bring the village panchayats under the general category. The predominant caste Hindus in these village panchayats never allowed the Dalits to file nominations and participate in the democratic exercise.

The social action groups, including the Tamil Nadu chapter of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), People's Watch- Tamilnadu, the PUCL, the Ambedkar People's Movement and the Dalit Resource Centre and political outfits such as the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Labourers' wing of the CPI (M), the DPI, the Puthiya Tamizhagam, the Marxist-Periyarist Communist Party, the All-India Ambedkar People's Party, the Republican Party of India and the Dalit Liberation Party have been demanding elections in these panchayats.

The groups, which met recently to evolve a joint action committee, have urged the Government to take immediate action under the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 against the District Collectors, the Superintendents of Police and all election officials concerned who ``failed'' to take action against those who either directly or indirectly prevented Dalits from taking part in the local polls.

The activists decided to enlist the services of eminent lawyers, who belong to various movements, in seeking a court direction to initiate legal action against the erring officials. They warned of agitations if both the State and Central Governments failed to act.