As boycott failed to work, Thervoy villagers nominate own candidate to contest panchayat poll

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

First the dalit villagers of Thervoy Kandigai boycotted Parliamentary elections to protest against the acquisition of forest lands, then they backed the DMDK candidate during the recently assembly elections in hope of getting back the land and now as a last resort villagers are putting up their own candidate to contest the panchayat elections.

“We were not heard despite boycotting the parliamentary elections. No body came to hear our grievances. So we backed the DMDK candidate in AIADMK alliance hoping that our grievances would be heard. But now as a last resort, we have nominated Dhanraj, our own candidate for the panchayat election,” says Mahesh, a committee member of Thervoy Grama Makkal Nalla Munnetra Sangam.

When asked how could the panchayat will be more effective in getting back the forest land, joint secretary of the sangam, Gautaman says that it gives us a freedom to pass the resolution as the new land acquisition bill states that the land acquisition should be cleared by gram sabhas.

“We are just waiting for the panchayat elections to end and then we will launch the struggle vociferously,” says Dhanraj, who is confident of breaking the DMK stranglehold in the village for the last 15 years.

Interestingly, Munivel and Vani, the husband and wife duo who have been the panchayat presidents of the village for the last 15 years are again contesting. Vani, who is the candidate for president, was instrumental in passing the Gram Sabha resolution to give away the forest land of the village.

When Express contacted Munivel, he said, “Vani will contest the elections again even if she wins a single vote. We are ready for the contest. During the last five years, they have never let her function properly by putting up innumerable RTI queries, let us see how they function properly in the coming five years,” he said.

Already facing alleged misappropriation of funds charges, Vani may not have the mandate but she is contesting the elections to save her pride, says a villager.