TN: Dalit activist plea to Prez for protection

Madurai, Feb 9: A Dalit activist has appealed to the President forprotection as he apprehended threat to his life, and detention underGoondas Act after he legally challenged the appointment of a revenueofficial charged with the sale of 'panchami' lands at throwaway prices,as a temple trustee.

Charging the police with attempting to detain him under onepretext or the other, A R Ayyankalai said that ever since he hadobtained a stay on the appointment of Tahsildar S Rajaram as a trusteeof the famous Meenakshiamman Temple here, efforts were on to foist acase on him.

He had been engaged in a struggle since 1978 to retrieve'panchami' lands, assigned to Dalits during British rule, Mr Ayyankalaiclaimed.

In the last three years, he had ''exposed the complicity of MrRajaram in the sale of prime 'panchami' lands leading to his transferto the Civil Supplies Department and issuance of charge memo underSection 17 B of service rules in January last,' Mr Ayyankalai claimed.

After the DMK formed the government in the state, Mr Rajaram was appointed to the board of trustees of the Meenakshi temple.

Claiming Mr Rajaram had political connections, the memorandum saidpursuant to this a case was foisted against him at suburban PerungudiPolice Station and transferred to the city police with the 'soleintention of victimising him.' The police station had included himunder the rowdies list along with one George Virumandi, 'hiscomrade-in-arms' in the struggle for land retrieval.

While all the other names in the list had been deleted, his name was retained with an ulterior motive, he charged.

According to him, it was a ploy to facilitate detention under the Goonda's Act.

He also alleged the tahsildar was holding out threats through unidentified persons.

Copies of the memoranda were also sent to the Chief Justice ofIndia, Governor and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Justiceof Madras High Court.

Meanwhile, the District Revenue Officer had dropped the chargeslisted in the memo issued to Mr Rajaram and other subordinate revenuepersonnel, sources said.

Hearing on the Public Interest Litigation in the templetrusteeship case is scheduled to come up before the Madurai Bench ofMadras High Court next week.

UNI >