Untold story of the youth behind the bars

Chennai, August 12: International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) called the police’s bluff on the arrests of Muslim youth in Tamil Nadu post-Ahmedabad blasts. In a detailed fact-finding report on the arrests made by the state police after the Bengaluru and Ahmedabad blasts, 13 advocates in the fact-finding team claimed that the arrests were made without any “evidence.”
“Police are spreading news that the arrested Muslim youth have been plotting to blast Anna flyover on Independence Day. That has created panic among the public. We, as lawyers upholding the rule of law, wanted to ascertain the truth after meeting the five Muslim prisoners, their families and the concerned police officials,” said Mr Narayanan, joint secretary of IAPL.
Thirteen lawyers from three human rights organizations including IAPL visited the Muslim youth who are imprisoned post-Ahmedabad blasts for an alleged plot. They also interviewed the family members of the arrested youth and the concerned police officials.
“The police’s claims that the youth are planning terror strikes on Independence Day are false. The false propaganda is aimed at creating Islamophobia and getting more funds for the police force,” said Mr S.Manoharan, general secretary, IAPL.
“The youth are threatened with encounter killings and are forced to give statements according to the whims and fancies of the police. Human rights of the prisoners are violated during the interrogation,” said the fact-finding report.
“Late-night hour raids in the houses of Muslim youth, intimidation of the relatives of the prisoners are clear violation of the rule of law. The state government should order a judicial probe into the recent arrests of Muslim youth to put an end to the false propaganda spread by the intelligence agencies,” added the report.
In the meanwhile, imprisoned Abdul Gafoor’s wife Zeenat Najma petitioned the state human rights commission (SHRC) that her husband was implicated in a false case and sought the commission to order a CBI probe into her husband’s arrest. She said her husband was not a terrorist. Imprisoned Heera’s father Syed Nazeem wrote to the chief minister seeking fair retrial in the case of Heera.

Tamil poet’s family ostracised

Chennai, Jan.20: The culture of alcohol consumption in Muslim societies is being debated across the globe. But when a Tamil writer attempted that six months ago in a literary monthly magazine Uyirmmai published from here, not only the writer but also his family was excommunicated by the local jamaat. Award-winning Tamil poet Mr.H.G.Rasool (47), his wife Ms.Fareeda Begum (45), his children Nasrin (18) and Ruhi Parveen (8) are living amid hostility at their residence in Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district. They cannot attend family get-togethers such as marriages or the annual urs in the local dargah.
Mr.Rasool’s essay was titled “culture of drinking in Islam.” He discussed the culture of drinking in the light of quran, hadith and Islamic history. The teetotaller poet concluded that “mild drinking” was accepted in many Muslim societies and also inferred that “drinking is not a punishable offence in the light of quran.” That was reason enough to “provoke” the local jamaat to the extent of excommunicating him.
“Mr.Rasool has to write an apology letter in the same magazine for having underestimated the intelligence of crores of Muslims in the world,” Mr.Jehabar Sadiq, president of Anjuvannam Peer Mohammadiyya Muslim Association (APMA), the jamaat which ostracised him, told this journalist.
The irony is that Mr.Rasool was Vice-President of APMA jamaat for five years till he was expelled in May 2007 following the controversial essay. “I was not saying anything on my own. I deduced from various available literature that mild drinking is not a punishable offence in Islam,” said the poet.
The poet was under attack from the ulema five years ago for a controversial poem which wanted to know if there were any women prophets in human history.
Social ostracism in Tamil Muslim community meant complete exclusion from community life. “We are psychologically disturbed by the isolation. We are grateful to the relatives and friends who are still standing by us. I hope things will be alright soon,” said Nasrin who is studying second year in a college at Nagercoil, 16 kms from Thuckalay.

Madigas’ internal reservation demand gathers momentum

Chennai, Jan. 8: In what seems to be a fight for a space within the existing space, Telugu-speaking Arundhatiyar (the equivalent of Madigas in Andhra Pradesh) organizations in the state demand six per cent reservation for the community within the 18 per cent allotted for the Scheduled Castes. “We demand six per cent reservation within the 18 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes in Tamil Nadu,” Mr.R.Adhiyaman, President, Aathi Thamizhar Peravai, an umbrella organisation of Arundhatiyars in Tamil Nadu told this journalist.
Andhra Pradesh model where Madigas enjoyed seven per cent reservation for four years (2000-2004) emboldened Arundhatiyars in the state to renew their decades-old demand. “Andhra Pradesh government has given seven per cent reservation for Madigas in their state. But Supreme Court struck it down after four years. Tamil Nadu government should have the political will to follow that example,” Mr.Dayalan, President, Arundhatiyar Viduthalai Munnani, told this journalist.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) which is in the forefront of internal reservation struggles in the state is vocal about this issue. “Even before the PMK was launched in 1989, we have been demanding internal reservation for Arundhatiyars. We had a conference in Erode demanding internal reservation for Arundhatiyars,” Mr.S.Ramadoss, founder-president of PMK told this journalist. He insisted the Tamil Nadu government should consider this demand seriously.
“The demand for internal reservation for Arundhatiyars is valid and our party organised a huge rally in Chennai last year to press for this demand. We are going to press for it again at our state conference to be held in Madurai from January 8 to 10” Mr. N.Varadarajan, state secretary, CPM, told this journalist. He added, “I am confident that the Chief Minister will heed our demand.”
CPI’s state deputy secretary C.Mahendran said, “The government should understand that the Arundhatiyar community requires special measures to enhance its status in the society.” He added, “The dominant dalit political groups should give ground and help the state ensure special opportunities for the Arundhatiyars.”
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) led by Mr.Thol.Thirumavalavan supported the demand of Arundhatiyars in their election manifesto during May 2006 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. But they retracted their stance after CPM took up the cause last year. When contacted by this journalist, Mr.Thirumavalavan said, “I will comment on this issue later.”
With parties such as PMK,CPM and CPI already expressing support, Aathi Thamizhar Peravai, United Arunthatiyar Front – a grouping of seven Arundhatiyar organizations are planning a huge rally in Chennai next month to demand six per cent reservation for Arundhatiyar community in Tamil Nadu.

Dalit uprising met with thrashing

Chennai, Dec. 20: This incident reminds one of feudal ages when slavery was an accepted social practice. Mr.M.Subramaniam (44), a labourer belonging to Arundhatiyar community and a resident of Ramakrishnapuram near Tiruttani, 84 kms from here was beaten black and blue in front of the village temple when scores of villagers watched as mute spectators. He was attacked by a group of caste Hindu Naidus of the same village for questioning them on denial of passage to his residence. “Mr.M.Subramaniam has given a complaint to the police about the atrocity; the police is not taking necessary action”, says Mr.M.Venkataiyan, a social activist from Tiruttani who helped him get medical treatment. Subramaniam’s wife and three children now live in fear of being attacked by caste Hindus as they are isolated from their own community and branded as “trouble-makers”.
Ramakrishnapuram is a serene village on Tiruttani hills where caste Hindu Naidus are in a majority (nearly 50 families) and Dalit Arundhatiyars a minority (only 8 families). Of the eight Arundhatiyar families, only Subramaniam’s family is not into doing menial work for caste Hindu households. His children are getting school education and he prefers going to masonry work at Tiruttani than doing servile work to Naidu landlords.
“We had a 12-feet wide, half a kilometer long approach road from our colony to the main road allotted by the then Adi-Dravida welfare tashildar Mr.Duraikannu in 1999. But the passage was occupied by Mr.Narayanaswamy Naidu and few others and they started cultivation in the passage,” Mr.Subramaniam told this journalist. “When I pointed out that this is in violation of government norms, they got angry,” he added.
A case was registered with the Tiruttani Police Station in this regard one month ago. But no caste Hindu was arrested till date. When this journalist met Mr.Kalappan Naidu against whom complaint was given, he admitted that he had hit Mr.Subramaniam as he provoked the caste Hindus in the village. Mr.E.Magesh, Inspector of Police, Tiruttani, observed: “It is the responsibility of local revenue officials to ensure that the Arundhatiyar people get a proper passage.”
But the situation on the bureaucratic front is pathetic. “Tiruttani Adi-Dravida Welfare office does not have a Revenue Inspector or a Surveyor; only an office assistant is there,” observed Mr.Sampath Kumar, Adi-Dravida welfare Tashildar of Tiruvellore, who was given additional charge of Tiruttani when this journalist brought to his notice the plight of Arundhatiyars in Ramakrishnapuram. Official apathy and police inaction seem to help caste domination remain intact.

The aftermath of credit stealing

Mr.Anand Natarajan, the credit stealer Editor of India Today - Tamil told the New Delhi office that I threatened him just to reinforce his earlier complaint that I was a terrorist. The message was clear: if you question your boss about credit stealing, he will get you out of the job. The spat over credit-stealing led to my dismissal last week.

Chennai's Return to Nature

They are travelling together amidst forests searching for traces of the prehistoric life; they are not research scholars; it's more because of their love for Nature. They stay back in the woods days and nights together like aboriginal people. The oldest fine arts college in the country, 150-year old Govt. College of Fine Arts - Chennai - is their second home. They had come together for an exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai last week. The exhibition, aptly titled "Serene Perceptions", helped Chennaiites understand the necessity of returing to Nature for solace and saving our next generation. T.Athiveerapandian's series "Towards Nature" tried to recreate Nature's myriad colours in bigger (8 feet x 6 feet) as well as smaller canvases. "My works of art may help the viewer relate to her ecology" says Athiveerapandian. P.Manivannan's works are inspired by the hilly terrain he frequents in search of rock art sites. His black and white works explore his own mindscape. His acrylic works try to create a conversation between his self and Nature. K.Natarajan's exemplary sculptures revolve around Nature and our age-old aesthetic traditions. His oil works explore his relationship with environment and stand out from the rest with an unique style. K.T.Gandhirajan's rock art photographs give us a glimpse of the aesthetic traditions of prehistoric humans who wandered in the western ghats of Tamil Nadu. This show took me close to Nature giving ideas for my next itinerary.

Berijam Lake - Synonym of Serenity

It's 35 kms from Kodaikanal en route Cochin on the hills. As you travel deep into the pine woods towards Berijam Lake you are reminded of poet Bharathiar's famous lines "Eththanai Kodi Inbam vaiththai iraiva" (oh God, how many pleasures you have created). White Roses of the forest and mountain streams welcome you into that 3km-long lake. I went there during May 2007 and spent hours together enjoying the indescribable beauty of Nature.