“Caste clashes result of Dravidian parties’ failure to get industrial investment”

The Dravidian parties that ruled the State for over four decades had failed to ensure industrial investments in the southern districts in the past 20 years, causing unemployment and consequent caste clashes, veteran Communist Party of India leader R. Nallakannu has charged.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr. Nallakannu, who was here to participate in the fast organised by the party to appeal to the people to safeguard communal harmony, said caste rivalry, though not as bad as the infamous clashes of the mid-90s, had claimed several lives in the past 10 months to further affect the growth of southern districts.

Police should crush those fomenting casteist sentiments among the youth, particularly students. Besides taking preventive measures, the police should conduct awareness programmes among students on the need for abhorring caste and communal feelings. The government, besides ensuring development in vulnerable areas, should form village-level teams to avoid caste clashes.

“Unemployment, caused by lack of industrial investment, has led to usury, suicides, rift between different castes, etc. Though adequate land has already been acquired, no step has been taken to start Nanguneri Multiproduct Special Economic Zone due to lack of political will. Instead of attracting hefty industrial investments, the successive governments are keen on selling the Tamirabharani to multinational giants making carbonated soft drinks,” Mr. Nallakannu said, adding that the State government should ensure the rule of law in the southern districts.

Speaking amidst protesters, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan warned that there would not be any development in south Tamil Nadu if the State government failed to check the continuing caste-based murders. While failing to act on its own to change the prevailing hostile situation, the State government was not even in a mood to implement the recommendations of various committees on development of southern districts.

Party cadres from Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts participated in the day-long fast.