Another Wall Of Untouchability Demolished in Tamil Nadu

After a determined intervention of the Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front, backed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the officials of the state revenue department, police and the corporation of Coimbatore demolished a wall that had denied dalit people direct access to the arterial road in the city.

There are nearly 60 families of dalit Arundhadhiyar community at Thandhai Periyar Nagar, Singanallur town in the industrial city of Coimbatore. This colony is located in Ward No.10 of the city corporation near the Employees’ State Insurance Hospital, near Kamarajar Road. Here, caste Hindus had built a wall across the 30ft-wide Jeeva Road that was supposed to link the colony with Kamarajar Road. 

“The wall, built in 1990, was evidence of prevalence of discrimination and untouchability,” said U K Sivagnanam, district convener of the Untouchability Eradication Front. The Front had petitioned the authorities demanding the removal of the wall. According to  dalits in Periyar Nagar, the government acquired land for their colony in 1989 and provided house site pattas to them. Caste Hindus living along the initial stretch of Jeeva Road had installed a Vinayakar idol in a small shed and built the wall behind it, exactly from where the colony began. The temple was used as a pretext for closing the road with the intent to prevent the dalits from using Jeeva Road to reach Kamarajar Road passing through the area in which the caste Hindus resided. The dalits had used other routes to reach the main road for many years. But with more buildings coming up on open sites nearby, they were left only with a narrow street to reach the main road.

In this background, the Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front leaders took this issue and the CPI(M)'s Tamil daily Theekkathir carried a front-page story in its issue dated 30 January focussing this matter. Having seen the news item in Theekkathir on that morning, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi ordered the Coimbatore district administration to inquire into the issue and take immediate action.

Officials verified the records and confirmed that the temple and the wall encroached upon a scheme road and also it was an untouchability wall. A group of caste Hindus squatted in front of the earthmover in an attempt to prevent the demolition. As the earthmover began the demolition, the dalit people broke into a thunderous ovation. When the corporation workers were removing the debris of the demolished wall, a group of activists of a Hindu outfit insisted that the temple should not be removed. This resulted in police mobilising more reinforcements.

The dalits pointed out that they were not against the temple but only its location. The state convener of the Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front P Sampath welcomed the action taken by the officials and added that the temple could be relocated with the consent of both sides.
(Peoples Democracy)

AIDWA Condemns Haryana Khap Panchayat Decree

The All India Democratic Women’s Association has issued the following statement on February 1

AIDWA condemns the outrageous and illegal ‘diktat’ reportedly issued by a village panchayat near Rohtak in Haryana that seeks to forcibly separate a married couple, Satish Berwal and Kavita who were married 3 years ago and have a 10 month old baby.  The khap panchayat has informed them that they should henceforth live as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’!  The couple has requested Satish’s village panchayat to overturn this inhuman and patently illegal ‘diktat’.  Satish has also said that both their families have been facing many difficulties since their marriage. Kavita, according to newspaper reports, has threatened to commit suicide with her child on the village panchayat chaupal if the decision is not revoked.  AIDWA respects the courage of the young couple and also of their families who have refused to be cowed down by the khap panchayat. 

The sickening frequency with which young couples are being targeted, harassed, attacked and even killed while their families are subjected to social boycott, exile from their homes and worse, is not only intolerable but has to be stopped by the state government that is responsible for safeguarding the constitutional rights of all its citizens. AIDWA demands that the Haryana government intervene to protect the rights of the young couple and their families and also to punish those who are violating these with impunity. Further, criminal cases should be registered against the panchayat members who are intimidating the couple and their families, and issuing threats to their life and property, under appropriate sections of the IPC. AIDWA once again re-iterates the need for a special law to deal not only with ‘honour’ killings, but also with ‘honour’ crimes which have many aspects that are not covered by existing laws.

Vested interests have ganged up against Bengal: Budhadeb Bhattacharya

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday said “vested interests aided by some foreign power” have ganged up to create an atmosphere of terror in the state, stall its development and even divide it.

“All vested interests and anti-Left forces, both from within and outside, have ganged up to stop the Left Front. They are even ready to divide the state,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, addressing a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground ahead of the May-June election to 82 municipalities and Kolkata Corporation.

Mr. Bhattacharjee, who was in a combative mood, said the “vested interests” wanted to stall the LF’s initiative to set up industries in the West Bengal and move the state backward. “We will never let that happen and we have accepted their challenge,” he thundered.

Turning to the statehood demand in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, he said, “The opposition party has not uttered a word against the attempt to divide the state. They have joined hands with those who are out to dismember our state.”

He once again spoke of Trinamool’s link with Maoists who, he said, were killing CPI(M) workers. “Sometimes, they say there is nothing called Maoists. If so, then who are killing our party workers?”

The Chief Minister told the rally that the CPI(M) would not surrender to Maoists who were killing its workers on an almost daily basis. “We will not surrender. Trinamool Congress wants to see that in the face of Maoist onslaught, our people will surrender. But it is mistaken. They are not going to bow down.”

Mr. Bhattacharjee categorically ruled out any further division of West Bengal, saying, “No one will gain if the state is divided. A dangerous thing is taking place in Darjeeling. We are saying repeatedly that we are ready to give more power, but will not allow division of the state.”

Mr. Bhattacharjee said 84 per cent of land in the state was with the poor — a reality which the ‘jotedars’ (land owners), he felt, were unable to accept. “They have also joined hands with the vested interests and are trying to change the situation,” he said.

Referring to Left Front government’s work for the peasants, workers, poor, tribals, teachers and students, he said the government was trying its best. “We have progressed and helped people,” he said. However, he admitted, “Unemployment is still there. We have to reach out to those who did not get anything. There is no alternative to the LF“.

He appealed to the farmers, workers, tribals, Muslims, youths and artistes to come forward to stop those forces who were trying to create restlessness in the state. “Whether those forces will succeed will depend on you.”

(courtesy : The Hindu)

CPI (M) activists Gheroe Andhra Minister

KURNOOL: The supporters of CPI (M) led by district Secretary T. Shadrak Gheroed the convoy of in-charge Minister D. Manikya Varaprasad and Housing Minister Shilpa Mohan Reddy demanding the government to pay adequate compensation to flood victims in urban and rural areas.

Mr. Shadrak urged the Ministers to pay Rs. 5,000 for each household in Kurnool and Rs. 3,000 in rural areas to clean up flood affected houses. He said the Minister V. Vasantha Kumar promised the package but nothing was done till now.

He wanted the government to pay a compensation of Rs. 10,000 per acre for crop loss. He said the Andhra Pradesh government should emulate its Karnataka counterpart in compensating the flood victims.

The protesters wanted the government to waive house tax for a year in Kurnool city and supply ration for one more month. The Ministers promised to look into the matter.

(courtesy : The Hindu)