Whose Land Is It Anyway?

Recent events in Tamil Nadu have turned the spotlight on panchami lands. A new Act to prevent the sale of such lands to non-Dalits is being considered by the State and the legislation might be able to prevent illegal sales in the future. However, efforts to retrieve the lands and restore ownership to Dalits are few and far between currently.

- Dennis S. Jesudasan

It was scenes from a recent Tamil film that brought the issue of retrieval of pancha mi lands for Dalits back into focus in the State. Dhanush-starrer Asuran, which highlighted the issue, got rave reviews from DMK chief M.K. Stalin.

Soon after, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader S. Ramadoss claimed that the office of Murasoli, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) mouthpiece, in the Kodambakkam area of Chennai was sitting on panchami land.

Sale or gifting of such lands can only happen between Dalit communities; transactions with non-Dalits are not permitted. Mr. Stalin denied the PMK allegation stoutly. He went so far as to state that if the allegation was proved, he would retire from politics. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has said officials would probe the claim.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary moved the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), which has summoned the Chief Secretary to appear before it on November 19 in this regard. The DMK has said it would prove that the Murasoli office is not on panchami land — at the right place and time and to the right authority.

Long struggle

The watershed event for the demand to retrieve panchami lands from non-Dalits in Tamil Nadu was the Karanai struggle in Kancheepuram district, back in 1994. It ended in tragedy as two youth — John Thomas and Ezhumalai — were killed in the police firing to quell violence that broke out across the State. The Panchami Land Restoration Movement that was born then has shown little progress 25 years on, as no significant steps have been taken towards securing the lands for the Dalits.