Melvisharam – What the media won’t tell us

‘The New Indian Express’ (Chennai), in its edition of 18 Oct 2011, carried a news report entitled : ” Melvisharam residents give up 15-year boycott “.

The report, amongst others, stated :

” VELLORE: Residents of the municipal wards of 3,4,5 and 6 attached to Melvisharam Municipality, who have been boycotting elections since 1996, with a demand that these four wards be declared as a separate village panchayat, appear to have mellowed down now “

Again. ” The agitation dates back to 1996, when four councillors elected from these wards had resigned from their posts demanding among other things, carving out the four wards from the municipality and converting the same into a village panchayat”.

The news report can be read at :

URL : http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/melvisharam-residents-give-up-15-year-boycott/324384.html

The ‘REAL STORY’ behind the ‘poll boycott’, was highlighted in an ‘investigative report’ by senior journalist Shri B.R. Haran. He posted his findings on 14 Nov 2009 at the website ‘Vijayvaani’.

Shri B.R. Haran wrote:

“  Visharam is a town in the ‘Arcot’ Assembly constituency in Vellore district. It has a considerable population of Muslims, who are largely concentrated in areas like Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Arcot and local Vellore as well. Initially, Visharam had two panchayats – Melvisharam dominated by Muslims and Keelvisharam dominated by Scheduled Castes (Adi Dravidas) and MBCs (Vanniyars). The panchayats were constituted in 1951. While Melvisharam had 17 wards, Keelvisharam had 4 wards. In 1996, the then DMK government, yielding to pressure of Melvisharam Muslims, merged Keelvisharam with it. Later in October 2004, the then AIADMK government upgraded Melvisharam as Grade-III Municipality. Later in August 2008, it was merged with Vellore Corporation.

Melvisharam being a predominantly Muslim town, the Urdu-speaking community was quite wealthy with an economy largely based on Tanneries, while the SCs and MBCs of Keelvisharam were dependent solely on agriculture in the water-starved region. The merger of Keelvisharam with Melvisharam has brought immense difficulties to its people, who were forced to approach the courts due to the total indifference and arrogance of successive governments, Dravidian parties and self-styled Dalit and Vanniyar leaders. Dr. Subramaniam Swamy took up their cause, and there is now hope for permanent relief to the hapless Hindus of Keelvisharam “.

His full ‘investigative report can be read at :

http://www.vijayvaani.com/FrmPublicDisplayArticle.aspx?id=931

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