MADURAI, November 24, 2011
"Case against Dalit leader should not disturb peace"
Mohamed Imranullah S.
The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday asked Additional
Advocate General (AAG) K. Chellapandian to come out with a solution,
in consultation with the Ramanathapuram Collector and the
Superintendent of Police, to curb flaring up of emotions pursuant to
registration of a criminal case against a Dalit leader on charges of
promoting enmity between two caste groups.
Dealing with a writ petition filed by P. Chandra Bose, general
secretary of Thyagi Immanuel Peravai, to quash the First Information
Report, Mr. Justice V. Ramasubramanian said that his endeavour was to
ensure that the registration of the case following a public meeting at
Paramakudi on November 5 should not snowball into a controversy and
disturb tranquillity across the State.
The public meeting was organised to condemn the police firing, which
led to the death of six Dalits at Paramakudi on September 11.
Stating that courts have to deal such issues with caution, the Judge
said: "My only concern is where to put an end to this. Nowadays,
courts have a greater responsibility. If it had been any other writ
petition, I would have thrown it out. But this case is different."
Earlier, the AAG contended that the speech given by the petitioner in
the public meeting squarely attracted Section 153A (promoting enmity
between different groups on ground of religion, race and so on and
doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal
Code. However, petitioner's counsel P. Rathinam said that the speech
was nothing but the cry of the hapless Dalits.
When counsel referred to historic incidents related to atrocities
committed against Dalits, the judge intervened and said that Mahatma
Gandhi had the ability to bring about peace even in the worst of
communal disturbances. "Unfortunately, we do not have someone like
him. Today, nobody wants to be a Mahatma Gandhi as they do not want to
be shot dead."
He recalled that Mahatma Gandhi had written to his friend on January
25, 1948, just five days before his assassination, stating he would
prefer to die chanting the name of Lord Ram if he happened to be shot
dead in an attempt to bring about communal harmony. "It is amazing
that he died in the same manner within five days of writing that
letter," Mr. Justice Ramasubramanian said.
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