http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/dalits-and-political-discriminations-1903515.htmlDalits And Political Discriminations
Posted: Feb 24, 2010
Studies that are conducted by <EM>S.Viswanatha</EM> (Author of
the book Dalits in Dravidian Land) and <EM>Hugo Gorringe</EM> (Author
of Untouchable Citizens Dalit Movements and Democratisation in
Tamil Nadu) is significant and noteworthy as far as Dalit politics in
Tamil Nadu is concern. These studies brought out the Dalit
situation in one of more modernized and progressive states in the
country, Tamil Nadu. S.Viswanatha has chronicled the dimensions
of the Dalit situation in the state and found that Dalits still
are facing deprivations and discriminations in social and political
arena.</P>
<P><STRONG>T</STRONG>he discriminations are not only in social life
but also in political sphere. Often their right to vote is taken
through violent means. For instance, during the 13th and 14th
Lok Sabha elections in Cuddalore district, a strong vanniar strong
hold, witnessed violence in which many places the Dalits were
prevented from exercising their franchise or already their votes were
polled by other caste Hindus. It is significant to note that the
Election Commission has identified Cuddalore and Chidambaram
Parliamentary constituencies has <EM>'highly sensitive'</EM>
constituencies and sent addition police force to conduct elections in
1999, 2004 and 2009 Parliament elections.</P>
<P><STRONG>R</STRONG>eservation of posts in the three-tier Panchayat
structure for women and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes is
one of the major features of the Panchayati raj institutions that were
put in place in 1996 under the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act, 1994.
Sections of caste Hindus, particularly in southern districts, known
for frequent incidents of caste-related violence, have resented
reservations for Dalits from the very beginning. In the four
villages, where Dalits are in a minority and depend on caste Hindu
landholders for their livelihood, various methods have adopted to
stall the elections. First they prevented Dalits from filing
nominations. Later, fearing the wrath of the administration,
"community leaders" fielded Dalits of their choice as candidates,
helped win, and then made them resign soon after assuming
charge. This has been the case in Pappapatti. The caste
Hindu standpoint was that a Dalit could not be accepted as the
panchayat president. "If they become presidents, we may have to
show respect to them in village festivals and public functions.
This we cannot do" is the common refrain. No nominations were
received in Pappatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam and Kottakatchiyendal
Panchayats from the President's post in the 1996 elections. In
the past, both districts have witnessed caste-related violence
involving Dalits and Mukkulathor, the predominant caste Hindu
community. The caste Hindu majority of the villages were
intolerant of a Dalit heading their Panchayat and they warned Dalits
heading their panchayat and they warned Dalits of serious consequences
if they dared enter the fray. Apart from this, the murder of the
Dalit president of the Melavalavu village panchayat in Madurai
district within months of his election in 1996 also deterred Dalits in
the four villages from taking part in the democratic process.</P>
<P><STRONG>I</STRONG>n 2001, caste Hindus in the four villages
repeated the same strategy of forcing Dalits out of the fray. In
the subsequent elections held along with "casual elections",
Pappapatti and Keeripatti opted to participate in the process, but
only to make a mockery of it by forcing the winners not only to resign
but also to plead with the state government to de-reserve their
panchayat. But after the DMK came to power in 2006 the
government has made some efforts to conduct elections to these
panchayats and elections were held and dalits candidates won the
elections and they are continuing as presidents of these
panchayats.</P>
<P><STRONG>Situation in Reserved Panchayats</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>T</STRONG>he recent study, by a Madurai based Human Right
organization, revealed that "untouchability" prevailed in one form or
the other in 70 per cent of the 83 reserved village panchayats in the
district. Answering a printed questionnaire, the panchat
presidents acknowledged that atleast 25 forms of 'untouchability'
exist in their village. Even the caste did not allow the dalit
panchayat presidents to head the village panchayat. In the
official meeting the vice-opresidents mostly the caste Hindus, occupy
chairs and dalit president sit on the floor as "mute
spectators". Even some of the dalit Panchayat presidents were
not given the chance to host the National Flag during the Independence
day functions.</P>
<P><STRONG>T</STRONG>he same situation prevails in the neighbouring
Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts. Presidents
of atleast 17 reserved panchayats have complained of untouchability
and caste based discrimination in their villages. In a printed
format, they have acknowledged discrimination at teashops, restriction
in access to public places and residential coloni9es of caste
Hindus. After the news published in the newspaper there was no
reaction, either condemning or organizing agitations, from the two
prominent dalit political parties. It was left parties who
successfully organized agitations against this discrimination and, it
seems, most of the Dalits outfits had not taken this issue very
seriously. Apart from responding to incident of caste violence
against Dalits, wherever they take place, Dalit parties ought to have
addressed this kind of political discriminations in elected bodies,
especially in Panchayat Raj</P>
<p><strong>About the Author</strong></p>
<p><p>Associate Professor of Political Science Annamalai University
Annamalai Nagar - 608 002 Tamil Nadu India</p></p><p
class="tracker">(ArticlesBase SC #1903515)</p>
<p>Article Source: <a
href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">http://www.articlesbase.com/</a> -
<a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/dalits-and-political-discriminations-1903515.html"
title="Dalits And Political Discriminations">Dalits And Political
Discriminations</a></p>
The Studies that are conducted by S.Viswanatha (Author of the book
Dalits in Dravidian Land) and Hugo Gorringe (Author of Untouchable
Citizens Dalit Movements and Democratisation in Tamil Nadu) is
significant and noteworthy as far as Dalit politics in Tamil Nadu is
concern. These studies brought out the Dalit situation in one of more
modernized and progressive states in the country, Tamil Nadu.
S.Viswanatha has chronicled the dimensions of the Dalit situation in
the state and found that Dalits still are facing deprivations and
discriminations in social and political arena.
The discriminations are not only in social life but also in political
sphere. Often their right to vote is taken through violent means.
For instance, during the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha elections in
Cuddalore district, a strong vanniar strong hold, witnessed violence
in which many places the Dalits were prevented from exercising their
franchise or already their votes were polled by other caste Hindus.
It is significant to note that the Election Commission has identified
Cuddalore and Chidambaram Parliamentary constituencies has 'highly
sensitive' constituencies and sent addition police force to conduct
elections in 1999, 2004 and 2009 Parliament elections.
Reservation of posts in the three-tier Panchayat structure for women
and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes is one of the major
features of the Panchayati raj institutions that were put in place in
1996 under the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act, 1994. Sections of caste
Hindus, particularly in southern districts, known for frequent
incidents of caste-related violence, have resented reservations for
Dalits from the very beginning. In the four villages, where Dalits
are in a minority and depend on caste Hindu landholders for their
livelihood, various methods have adopted to stall the elections.
First they prevented Dalits from filing nominations. Later, fearing
the wrath of the administration, "community leaders" fielded Dalits of
their choice as candidates, helped win, and then made them resign soon
after assuming charge. This has been the case in Pappapatti. The
caste Hindu standpoint was that a Dalit could not be accepted as the
panchayat president. "If they become presidents, we may have to show
respect to them in village festivals and public functions. This we
cannot do" is the common refrain. No nominations were received in
Pappatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam and Kottakatchiyendal Panchayats
from the President's post in the 1996 elections. In the past, both
districts have witnessed caste-related violence involving Dalits and
Mukkulathor, the predominant caste Hindu community. The caste Hindu
majority of the villages were intolerant of a Dalit heading their
Panchayat and they warned Dalits heading their panchayat and they
warned Dalits of serious consequences if they dared enter the fray.
Apart from this, the murder of the Dalit president of the Melavalavu
village panchayat in Madurai district within months of his election in
1996 also deterred Dalits in the four villages from taking part in the
democratic process.
In 2001, caste Hindus in the four villages repeated the same strategy
of forcing Dalits out of the fray. In the subsequent elections held
along with "casual elections", Pappapatti and Keeripatti opted to
participate in the process, but only to make a mockery of it by
forcing the winners not only to resign but also to plead with the
state government to de-reserve their panchayat. But after the DMK
came to power in 2006 the government has made some efforts to conduct
elections to these panchayats and elections were held and dalits
candidates won the elections and they are continuing as presidents of
these panchayats.
Situation in Reserved Panchayats
The recent study, by a Madurai based Human Right organization,
revealed that "untouchability" prevailed in one form or the other in
70 per cent of the 83 reserved village panchayats in the district.
Answering a printed questionnaire, the panchat presidents acknowledged
that atleast 25 forms of 'untouchability' exist in their village.
Even the caste did not allow the dalit panchayat presidents to head
the village panchayat. In the official meeting the vice-opresidents
mostly the caste Hindus, occupy chairs and dalit president sit on the
floor as "mute spectators". Even some of the dalit Panchayat
presidents were not given the chance to host the National Flag during
the Independence day functions.
The same situation prevails in the neighbouring Sivaganga,
Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts. Presidents of atleast 17
reserved panchayats have complained of untouchability and caste based
discrimination in their villages. In a printed format, they have
acknowledged discrimination at teashops, restriction in access to
public places and residential coloni9es of caste Hindus. After the
news published in the newspaper there was no reaction, either
condemning or organizing agitations, from the two prominent dalit
political parties. It was left parties who successfully organized
agitations against this discrimination and, it seems, most of the
Dalits outfits had not taken this issue very seriously. Apart from
responding to incident of caste violence against Dalits, wherever they
take place, Dalit parties ought to have addressed this kind of
political discriminations in elected bodies, especially in Panchayat
Raj
Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/dalits-and-political-discriminations-1903515.html"
(ArticlesBase SC #1903515)
DR.P.SAKTHIVEL
Associate Professor of Political Science Annamalai University
Annamalai Nagar - 608 002 Tamil Nadu India
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