Date:16/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/16/stories/2006081608100400.htm

Tamil Nadu

Pappapatti, Keeripatti reservation should stay: CPI (M)

Staff Reporter

Varadarajan says party has conveyed its stand to Government

CPI (M) leader threatens to lead protests if quota is withdrawn

Wants panel to be set up for monitoring welfare schemes

MADURAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is against withdrawing the reservation for Dalits in Pappapatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam panchayats in Madurai district and Kottakatchiyendal in Virudhunagar district, where elections could not be held for the past 10 years.

Party State secretary N. Varadarajan, who was here to unveil the statue of a martyr, Balu, warned that if reservation was withdrawn "on the basis of the rotation system," caste Hindus in other parts of the State will try to replicate the modus operandi (of preventing Dalits from contesting the elections) in other reserved panchayats. "This will lead to failure of law." Stating that the party has already expressed its stand of continuing reservation in these panchayats to the Government, Mr. Varadarajan warned that he himself would lead protests in Madurai if the State Government decided to withdraw the reservation.

Seat-sharing talks

The party has asked the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to begin seat-sharing talks with the constituent parties of Democratic Progressive Alliance for the local body polls. "We have intimated this to the DMK high command and they have accepted to it."

Complaining that smuggling of ration rice was continuing, he demanded the Government should form a committee comprising all-party representatives, those from voluntary organisations and elected representatives to monitor other welfare schemes.