Presidents' plight

M. Muthukrishnan, president of Siruvai village in Villupuram district, who fled the village after being harassed by caste Hindus.-T. SINGARAVELOU

Elected Dalit presidents of villages in several districts of Tamil Nadu are prevented from conducting their roles with dignity.

THE successful conduct of elections to panchayats reserved for Dalits in four villages in Tamil Nadu in October 2006 broke the decade-long defiance of a strong and substantial section of the people. The resolute action of the government, with the cooperation of several progressive sections of society, confirmed the maxim that with political will and administrative skill, the state can make even the seemingly hard nuts (in this case the rigidity of the caste system) crack (Frontline, November 3, 2006).

The bonhomie seen at the victory celebrations and the grand public honour that the State government in Chennai gave the Dalit presidents from Pappapatti, Keerippatti and Nattarmangalam in Madurai district and Kottakachiyendal in Virudunagar district a few weeks later generated hope that this was the first step on the strenuous path to empowering the underprivileged in other parts of the State. However, a series of incidents from different districts have belied these hopes and dampened the October 2006 spirit. From 2006, for the first time nearly 2,500 village panchayats were supposed to have Dalit presidents under the rotation system. (In the case of Pappapatti and the other three villages, the rotation system was not applicable because no panchayat governance was possible during the past two five-year terms, owing to caste-Hindu protest against reservation of presidents' posts for Dalits.)

Hardly a month after the elections, P. Jaggaiyan, a poor agricultural worker who belonged to the Arunthathiyar sub-sect of Dalits and was the president of Nakkalamuthanpatti village panchayat in Tirunelveli district, was done to death for the simple reason that he refused to oblige his own deputy, the "upper-caste" vice-president, by being the president "only on paper". Instead he made bold to expose the irregularities of the earlier regime led by the deputy's wife (Frontline, December 29, 2006). A murder case is pending before the Special District Sessions Court constituted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act).

In the same district, the president of Maruthankinaru village panchayat, M. Servaran, was found dead near his house on February 9 . From the beginning of his term he confronted the hostility of the "upper-caste" vice-president and her husband, who had sought to appropriate all powers and make him a dummy president. He was not even allowed to occupy the president's chair, the local people reportedly told a fact-finding team of human rights activists. By April-end, the police were still investigating.

At least 10 other Dalit panchayat presidents in Tirunelveli district, all Arunthathiyars, have complained that their lives are under threat from caste-Hindu opponents, who are allegedly resisting Dalit presidents' exercise of power. One of them, S. Sundararaj, president of Ilayarasanenthal panchayat, was reportedly assaulted on April 1. A first information report (FIR) was filed at Thiruvengadam police station and the police are investigating the charges. Six persons have been arrested. After a complaint from P. Krishnaveni, president of Thalayuthu panchayat, that the vice-president used abusive language against her, the police filed an FIR on April 15.

Even in Madurai district, where the district administration can pat itself on the back for taming the rebel panchayats, a number of newly elected Dalit presidents have complained that they have been prevented from functioning independently by either their deputies or the majority caste-Hindu elements, including former presidents. This is the position in many other districts as well.

In northern Villupuram, the Dalit president of Siruvai, Muthukrishnan, had to run for his life with family and close relatives and stay underground for nearly six weeks before he returned to the village under police protection. From the moment he was declared elected, Muthukrishnan said to Frontline, he was harassed by a group headed by the former president, who belongs to a minority but wealthy caste-Hindu social group. Siruvai panchayat became a constituency reserved for Dalit presidents only in 2006. Muthukrishnan, an agricultural worker with meagre means, defeated four candidates to win the election. The losers included a candidate sponsored by the outgoing president, S.T. Ramamurthi, a contractor-cum-farmer who had held the post for two successive terms. Muthukrishnan said that the trouble started when he questioned the extraordinary delay in the submission of accounts by the previous regime. He had to confront hurdles to every move he has made since.

According to S. Muthukumaran, secretary, Vanur Taluk Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), one of Muthukrishnan's first projects was to upgrade the village primary school. Muthukrishnan could only raise the public fund of Rs.1 lakh needed as deposit with due approval from the panchayat council. He also initiated a move to build a new building for the school by persuading various squatters on the land to leave. These steps earned him the wrath of vested interests and irked the rival group, which began to harass not only Muthukrishnan but also members of his family. Repeated appeals from the president's well-wishers, who included many elders from the predominant caste Hindu community of Vanniyars, were of no avail. The harassment reached its peak when his son, Sukraraj, was abused and assaulted on March 10 by a group of persons without any provocation. Muthukrishnan's complaint to the police did not evoke any response because they were busy arranging for the security of a visiting Minister. At the instigation of the rival group, there were frequent clashes in the village. Sensing the threat to his life and fearing for the safety of the other members of his family, Muthukrishnan left the village along with about 30 of his relatives. He had to shift his hideout in view of the threat from the chasing rivals. A sustained agitation by CPI(M) workers spurred the district administration to act. The Collector intervened to get Muthukrishnan and his relatives back to Siruvai with police escort.

"The Collector has assured me that steps will be taken to facilitate my independent functioning as panchayat president," said Muthukrishnan. He added that all pending development work would be taken up soon. He said that the police should take action on his complaint about the assault on his son and render justice to him.

Another instance of Dalit harassment was reported from Dindigul district. When K. Chinnan, the president of Vagarai village panchayat in Palani taluk, which is reserved for Dalits, went to occupy the president's chair, the caste-Hindu members of the council reminded him of what they called an "undertaking" he had given them prior to the poll - that he would not occupy the chair on election. Chinnan denied any such understanding and pressed his right to be seated in the chair meant for him as the president. He did not succeed, but he continued to hold meetings, with all caste-Hindu members sitting in their respective chairs. He also had to face caste-Hindu hostility on every issue. Things came to a head when attempts were made to disrupt the water supply in the village. On complaints from the caste-Hindu members of the public, who are the principal beneficiaries of the drinking water supply scheme, the president took steps to get the supply system repaired.

When the work was completed and the water was about to be supplied, he found to his dismay that two valves of the system were broken. Two days later, another valve was found damaged. Chinnan's complaint did not evoke any response from the police. Another complaint that he filed after he was assaulted in the main bazaar by his rival met with the same lack of response. Weeks later, only after he made representations to the top officers accompanied by some CPI(M) functionaries and the issue was brought to the attention of the State Assembly, did the district administration take note of the discrimination against the Dalit president. Chinnan is hoping for their support to keep the dignity of his post.

The ill treatment meted out to the elected Dalit panchayat presidents indicates that untouchability is still practised in Tamil Nadu villages, 60 years after the Constitution abolished it. P. Sampath, member, State Secretariat of the CPI(M), said that the government should take a serious view of the disrespect shown to the Dalit presidents and the attempts to prevent them from discharging their duties. The government should restrain not only the oppressive forces among caste Hindus but also officials with an oppressive mindset. While educating and training the Dalit presidents to play their part in local governance, the government should organise classes to sensitise officials, including the police, on the need to switch their mindsets in tune with the policies of the government in respect of social justice.