Sunday, September 23, 2012

An Untouchability Wall in the name of a Temple




In vellore District, Those who travel in Walajapet  Sholingur Road, will be attracted by the Huge Padavettamman Statue of the padavettamman Temple situated opposite to the Walajapet BDO Office. But they may not be aware of the sorrow behind the Temple and the social evil of untouchability perpetrated by the Trustees of the Temple  with the backing of Police and District Administration.

Before five generations, the Oppressed section of people with three bricks worshipped as Lord Padavettamman and gradually it emerged as a small temple. The philanthropist to whom the land belongs gave some land to the temple and some land to the Dalith people. Ambedhkar Nagar thus came into being and there is vast government land between the temple and Ambedhkar Nagar.

Slowly the fame of the Temple spread and income for temple started generating. So it attracted the attention of affluent persons and they captured the control of the temple sidelining the people who created and developed the temple. They had no other alternative other than to accept the humiliation, discrimination shown on them.

But that is not the end of the story and they were in for more attacks and shocks. The vacant land increased the greedy of those vested interests and the chairman of the trustees who is a fleet owner wanted to convert this land as his Lorry Shed and also wanted to construct a Marriage Hall which will mint money.

Daliths of Ambedhkar Nagar using the Government Land as their path way was a big obstacle for their game plan and they decided to implement their plan at any cost. How?

Doing good deeds, it is always difficult, but when it is a matter of destruction, lakhs of ideas will pour in a second. This is the case here too. They put a board  that they are going to erect a Huge Statue of Lord Hanuman and a compound wall and asked for donations from the devotees.

Without waiting for any collection, they constructed a base for Lord Hanuman and dropped the plan in an abrupt manner and completed a lengthy, huge wall surrounding the temple and government land  preventing the Daliths, their path used for more than 50 years.

When the people of Ambedhkar Nagar staged a Road Roko Agitation, few angered youth made way by demolishing a small portion. Police intervened and assured solution through talks. But they stood by the vested interests and foisted false cases on the youth. Though there were two rounds of peace talks and one powerful demonstration by CPIM and VCK  has taken place, the solution is still eluding.   

It is an issue of Prestige and Money for the vested interests where as it is an issue of Life and Right for the Dalith. Constructing a wall in the Government Land is a criminal offence of encroachment. Preventing Daliths is an untouchability crime. It is pity that Government is defending the criminals and there is presence of large police force to protect the illegal untouchability wall.

Yesterday on 22.09.2012, Com P.Sampath, Central Committee member, CPI(M) and also the president of Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front along Com N.Gunasekaran, State Secretariat member, CPI(M) and other district level leaders visited the spot and discussed with victims.

When the Government is not in a position to render justice, do we have any other alternative to take justice ourselves? This is the  prevalent position here. So it has been decided to launch a direct struggle on 30.09.2012. Communist Party of India (Marxist), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Bahujan Samaj Party and Tamilnadu Untouchability  Eradication Front will take part in the struggle along with the victims.

Pulling Down of the Untouchability Wall,
Creating Proper Road,
Handing over the Temple to Daliths or to the Government Department of
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.

The Struggle will be September 30 on the Death Anniversary of the veteran left leader  Com P.Srinivasarao, who even before 80 years, fought for the oppressed, gave them courage to struggle.

When we saw anger in the eyes of women and the words of youth, it is sure that not only the wall, also the discrimination and shatter the Ego of the Vested Interests.

The Comrades of AIIEA who are part of the TNUEF also will play their role in this struggle.







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