Dalits separated by wall at colony

A 20-metre-long and 10-feet-high brick wall of near two decades old here separates 200 Dalit families from others.The wall, called by them as the ‘untouchable wall of Salem' is separating Raman colony where they, all Arunthathiyars, are living from VOC Nagar located on the other side of wall where many, a majority of them caste Hindus, are residing. The wall, running parallel to a drainage channel along Gandhi Mahan Street, has shut an easy access to main road on the other side.

The Dalits allege that the controversial wall was constructed some two decades back by a private person ‘to prevent the overflowing drainage waters from the adjoining colony to enter into his land.' “We are told that the wall was erected on both patta and porombok lands for which we need a resurvey,” demand Dalit youths who have taken up the issue with support from Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

They allege that their children have to take a circuitous route to reach the main road to go to schools.“The sick and elderly are suffering the worst. It is constructed on poromboke land,” said Pon Saravanan, urban secretary, DYFI. Many vouchsafe the same. As the sewage water gets stagnated, the entire area is stinking with scores of pigs roaming freely. 

M. P. Kandasamy, a 70-year-old Dalit, said that the wall has been put up for about 20 years. “It should be demolished and a way for us must be opened,” he insisted, while 40- year old Devakani said Salem Corporation had taken no steps so far to improve the colony's sanitary conditions. “We are boxed in with wall on one side and pools of sewers on other side,” she claimed. 

But those who are living in VOC Nagar on the other side of wall said they had purchased plots and constructed houses after spending their hard-earned money. “We are here to live peacefully in a good and hygienic environment and we are against any discrimination. We have not constructed the wall,” said a resident. A majority of them have moved in recently there. 

Salem Tahsildar D. Kumaresan told The Hindu that he was asked to conduct an enquiry into the claims on the disputed wall.“I will visit the spot tomorrow and after surveying it, I will submit a report. Many claimed that the wall could have been constructed on both private and porombok lands. I have called for land records and accordingly we will act,” he said.

(Courtesy : R. Ilangovan, The Hindu)

CPIM Dharna for effective anti-corruption laws in Jammu Kashmir

State Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Member of Assembly from Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday demanded framing of effective laws for weeding out corruption and to break what he termed the politician-bureaucrat nexus in the state.

“State Accountability Commission is a dead organization. It is headless and defunct for the past few years. Our demand is that government should make the body functional at an earliest to take on corruption. Our vigilance (commission) doesn’t have the courage to lay hands on big sharks,” he said addressing a protest rally of CPI (M) here against corruption and inflation.

The leader demanded a Lokpal-type legislation in Jammu and Kashmir for curbing the menace.
Castigating government for “failing to curb corruption”, Tarigami said, “Tall promises about taking action against the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and tax evaders by the authorities have proven hoax.” “I want to ask the State government what happened to the promises made by them in and outside Assembly about taking on the corrupt officials,” he questioned.
Tarigami also appealed the political parties, civil society groups and intellectuals in the state to wage a united fight over both the issues.

About the campaign, he said, “This is the part of the nationwide campaign of the Left parties against price rise and corruption.” Tarigami urged India and Pakistan to continue dialogue process for the resolution of Kashmir issue. “I appeal India and Pakistan to stop fighting with each other and do justice with Kashmiris. We don’t want peace of a graveyard, but we seek its restoration with dignity,” Tarigami said. The CPI (M) leader said Kashmiris hail the firm stand of both the countries to carry forward the dialogue process after Mumbai blasts.

“It was heartening to see that the peace process was not derailed in the wake of blasts and we hope that they will go ahead with the same spirit,” he said. Tarigami urged State Government to amend the Public Safety Act – which allows two-year detention without trial.
“To make the law more humane, the government should bring an amendment in the upcoming session of state legislature,” he said.

General Secretary of Kissan Tehreek, Ghulam Nabi Malik, while expressing concern over inflation said the price hike on petrol, diesel and cooking gas has severely affected the life of common man. “We wouldn’t sit as mute spectator and will raise our voice against the hike,” he said.

Hundreds of CPI (M) cadres marched from TRC ground to Press Enclave Lal Chowk shouting slogans like “expose the corrupt officials” demanding immediate steps to curb inflation and to end corruption at the bureaucratic and political level.
(Courtesy : Greater Kashmir)