People's Democracy

IN a largely attended public meeting of all political parties at Tyagraj Nagar in Chennai, leaders of all major political parties made an emphatic demand for withdrawal of the Prevention Of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO).

The meeting was organised by the CPI(M) and CPI, taking into account the urgency of the matter and the anti-democratic content of the ordinance. If permitted to become an act, POTO will sound the death knell for the democratic movements of the country.

The leaders of these two parties met the leaders of almost all political parties in the state in an effort to highlight the potential dangers of the ordinance. All of them readily agreed to hold a public meeting and thereby initiate a relentless campaign for dumping the ordinance before it becomes an act. Strangely enough the two big parties of the state --- the ruling AIADMK(in the state) and NDA partner DMK (part of the ruling establishment at the centre), --- did not participate in this combined effort. Not only that, the AIADMK welcomed the enactment of such an act. The DMK also, while expressing certain reservations about the proposed act, welcomed the promulgation of POTO. This unhealthy competition to appease the BJP, that has an ulterior motive in promulgation of the ordinance, constitutes a serious setback to the democratic movement in this part of the country.

At the public meeting, the leaders elaborated the dangers of enactment of such a draconian measures. They insisted that terrorist activities could be contained with the existing provisions of various acts and what is the need of the hour is to find out the likely reasons for the sudden spurt in such activities and show earnestness in removing those socio-economic and other deficiencies in the system. The meeting also highlighted how in the past such acts were totally misused and abused to settle scores with political opponents and those holding perceptions different from the government’s viewpoints on various day to day issues concerning the people. The minorities, Dalits and other oppressed sections have invariably become the targets of such acts; and the participants gave many such examples in the past.

The meeting was chaired by R Nallakannu, state secreaty of the CPI. N Sankaraiah of the CPI(M), G K Vasan (TMC), EVKS Elangovan (Congress), K Veeramani (DK), L Santhanam (AIFB), R Thirumavalavan (DPI), K Balraman (JD-S), C K Tamilarasan (RPI), Abdul Lathif (INL) and K A Wahab (IUML) addressed the meeting. T Nandagopal, district secrtary of the CPI(M), welcomed the gathering and Elumalai, district secretary of the CPI, proposed a vote of thanks. (INN)