Talking to newspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Ramakrishnan faulted the statement of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that the people of Uthapuram in Madurai district were living peacefully and that the CPI (M) leaders were instigating the people of Uthapuram. The Dalits in Uthapuram had been demanding government approval for the construction of a bus shelter in the main bus stand with the funds of Rs.3.75 lakh sanctioned by T.K. Rangarajan, CPI (M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP under the MPs Local Area Development Scheme, and permission to worship in Muthalamman Temple. However, the district administration has not taken any action on the demands. It was for this reason that Mr. Rangarajan and others staged an agitation in front of the Madurai Collectorate on Tuesday.“The government should not term such an agitation as disruption of peace”, he said.
The CPI (M) leader said that while only one portion of the wall that prevented the entry of Dalits into the area inhabited by caste Hindus in Uthapuram was destroyed in 2008, some obstacles still remained on the pathway. The CPI (M) wanted these obstacles to be removed.
Referring to the demand for government approval for the construction of the bus shelter in Uthapuram, he said the Madurai District Collector was saying that the caste Hindus in Uthapuram were objecting to the construction of the bus shelter. The Collector ought to hold talks with both parties and solve the issue, he said.
Mr. Ramakrishnan condemned the “police harassment” on Mr. Rangarajan and CPI (M) workers and Dalits who agitated in front of the Madurai Collectorate on Tuesday.
Referring to the expulsion of C. Govindasamy, CPI (M) MLA of Tirupur from the primary membership of the party, the State Committee Secretary said that the action was taken because Mr. Govindasamy, on Saturday without consulting the party, announced his decision to hold a meeting in Tirupur on August 1 to felicitate the Tamil Nadu government for the schemes implemented in Tirupur.
. “Any party functionary, even if he is an MLA, has to act in political matters only on the advice of the State party leadership”, he said.
Mr. Ramakrishnan said that Mr. Govindasamy's announcement of a felicitation meeting for the DMK government was an attempt to join the DMK. The exit of Mr. Govindasamy and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders S. Muthusamy and Chinnasamy and their joining the DMK would neither weaken the Opposition parties, nor strengthen the DMK, he said.
Vellore District CPI (M) Committee secretary A. Narayanan said that the CPI (M) held a taluk conference in Ambur on Thursday protesting against the negligence of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board which allowed incidents such as the deaths of tannery workers while cleaning effluent tanks in Vaniyambadi and other places, and demanding house site pattas for the houseless poor.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)
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