The DMK’s response to Governor R.N. Ravi’s latest charge that there had been a “rise in caste atrocities” in the State was different from its responses in the past. In an unusual move since it came to power in May 2021, the party drafted its general secretary and Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan to counter the Governor’s charge. One reason for this could be that Mr. Durai Murugan, who is the senior-most minister in the present government and ranked second in the Cabinet, belongs to the region, undivided Vellore district, which the Governor alluded to in his charge.
Mr. Ravi cited the example of Nayakkaneri village panchayat in Tirupattur district where a Scheduled Caste (SC) woman, P. Indumathi, could not take charge as the panchayat president since 2021 despite being elected unopposed. However, this was not due to political reasons or the State government’s interference. In October 2021, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court restrained Ms. Indumathi from assuming office after a writ petition was filed questioning the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission’s decision to reserve the Nayakkaneri panchayat president’s post for SC (women) on the ground that not a single family in the village belonged to a SC.
Regarding the conviction rate in crimes against SC/Scheduled Tribes, Mr. Durai Murugan pointed out that Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, all ruled by the BJP, fared poorly on this count. He also said that after the DMK assumed office, the rate went up to 9.12% from 7.15% in 2013-2020, when the AIADMK was in power. He gave an account of the various measures taken by the present government to protect SCs/STs.
