|
Dharmapuri district
in Tamil Nadu has been the centre of a strong rural movement since the time of
Naxalbari. Com. Balan, martyred in 1980, was a shining star of this movement.
The resistance against the brutal repression and numerous fake encounter
killings in the district, is symbolised by the huge stupam (column) of Coms.
Appu and Balan built at Naikankottai by the labour and contributions of the
masses. The massive repression together with the betrayal of a section of the
erstwhile revolutionaries resulted in a temporary setback to the movement in the
district. Today, due to the efforts of the genuine revolutionaries, the masses
are once again turning to the path of revolution.
With the government
and its legal apparatus always on the side of the landed elite, people are
seeking justice through the CPI(ML)(PW) and its mass organisations in the area.
Even minor issues of injustice and oppression come before the organisation. Here
we recount a few such instances which are taking place in the villages of
Dharmapuri district.
In Koppoor village a
landlord decided to sell his land to the the tenant who had been tilling it
since the last 30 years. But, even after collecting an advance from the tenant,
he sold the land to another person and also refused to repay the advance. The
organisation took a big campaign against the landlord and 80 people, together
with the tenant, ploughed the land. Frightened by this the purchaser refused to
buy the land. The landlord then sold the land to a rowdy, who used strong-arm
methods to plough the land and even cut coconuts from the tenant’s land. The
organisation then mobilised the people, smashed his pumpset and sent a warning
to the rowdy. Finally, he capitulated before the peoples’ wrath and gave the
tenant 75 cents of land, a house and some coconut trees.
In most villages
feudal authority of the landlord/moneylender combine is exercised through theirs
goons and rowdies. One such rowdy, in Chemmanda Kuppam village, was notorious
for terrorising the entire neighbourhood. He had beaten large numbers of poor
people and had even confined many in the hotel rooms that he owned. Lately he
falsely charged a woman of theft, confined her in the hotel room and beat her.
The organisation propagated widely against this person and thoroughly beat him
in front of his own hotel. This was a lesson for other rowdies in the area.
In another case in a
village near Naikankottai, a false case had been foisted on a number of comrades
for the murder of a mother and son. This, in fact, had been committed by their
relatives some 12 years back. The comrades were jailed. After release on bail
compensation of Rs. 90,000 was demanded from the culprits. People were mobilised
and those responsible were threatened that if compensation was not given the
victims would seize their land. Finally, Rs. 45,000 was paid and the balance
promised later. In another instance, a moneylender collaborating with the
police, got two activists jailed for leading a struggle against him. Again a
movement has been built demanding a compensation of Rs. 25,000. In fact, in
Dharmapuri, it is a common practice for feudal elements and police to foist
false cases on activists in order to harrass and arrest them. A big campaign for
compensation on such issues is restricting the hand of the enemy and giving
confidence to the people.
In yet another case,
in nearby Hosur, a large number of people were taken ill by the sale of
poisonous illicit liquor. The police, who had till then been collaborating with
the brewers, fearing the peoples’ wrath, closed down a number of distilleries in
the area. But they did not touch a notorious illicit centre in Natham village.
The masses, particularly women, were mobilised against this centre and they
smashed all the cans and made a bonfire of all the liquor on the main road. They
also distributed to the people the materials used for the arrack production.
These then are only a few examples on
how the people of Dharmapuri district are getting mobilised. The movement is
once again taking roots among the people.
|
