CHENNAI: The BJP’s State unit sprang a surprise when it promised to retrieve 12 lakh acres of Panchami lands in Tamil Nadu, while most of the parties had failed to mention in their manifestos about this long pending demand of SCs. However, activists who have been toiling at the ground level for reclaiming these lands are skeptical about the fulfilment of this promise on various counts.
Arungunam S Vinayakam of Naagar Senai in Kancheepuram, who has been working on the problems of landless poor and on retrieving the Panchami lands, recalled a number of petitions given to various authorities, including National Commission for SCs (NCSC) when it was led by L Murugan, who is now leading the State BJP unit.
“Murugan did nothing to retrieve the Panchami lands when he was in office. Now, what is the use of this promise in their manifesto?” he wondered. Vinayakam explained that the attempts to retrieve the Panchami lands had been unsuccessful mainly because most of these lands had been encroached and occupied by functionaries from all political parties. “There is a big charge that Murasoli (DMK mouthpiece) office is located on a Panchami land. But the DMK is yet to come out with a convincing response in this regard,” he pointed out. Vinayakam believes that it is still possible to reclaim all the Panchami lands and give them back to their original owners.
The activist further pointed out that the BJP, in its manifesto, had mentioned only about the lands that were given by the Britishers as ‘Depressed Class lands’. But the SCs had been given more lands under various other categories and they were also under encroachment, he said, adding, “According to our calculation, around 19 lakh acres of land have been given to the SCs in Tamil Nadu.” Panneerselvam, the founder president of Social Justice Party working in Coimbatore and its surrounding districts, told Express,
“In 2017, we handed over all details about the Panchami lands in Coimbatore and its surrounding districts, the encroachments on them etc., to L Murugan , the then vice-president of the National Commission for SCs. But he had not taken any action on our appeal. Now, his party promises to retrieve the Panchami lands. How can we believe that they will keep their promise now?” he asks. Panneerselvam has authored a book on Panchami lands.
Asked how these lands could be restored to their owners now, Panneerselvam said, “If not the original lands, the government can give alternative sites which are lying as poramboke and arid lands etc.,” D Ravikumar, Villupuram MP, dismissed the BJP’s promise as bogus. “The BJP is in power at the Centre. What is the scheme they have for the retrieval of Panchami lands at the national level? And what is the purpose of making this promise when you failed to act while in power?”