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The Rediff Interview/G K Moopanar

'The time has come for the state government to take tough decisions'

G K Moopanar is a worried man, and the reason for the furrows on his brow was the recent caste clashes in Ramanathapuram. He had just finished preparing a statement to be issued to the media. Even at 1830 hours, his house was full of party workers waiting to talk to him. Taking time off from them, he spoke to Shobha Warrier, the interview being true to style: Moopanar refuses to talk ill of others or make personal criticisms.

Once again, there are caste clashes and violence in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu. Last time, it was reported that you had sent a team there to find out the reasons. What did the team find out? Why is it that violence keeps recurring?

You see, what was troubling the area was the caste war between the dalits and the Thevar community. Last year when I spoke to different sections of people, I found that all of them were anxious to restore peace and harmony. What does it show? The general public did not have any strong communal or caste feelings. It was only some evil forces who are bent on disturbing the innocents through violence. These evil forces are acting as if they are some caste associations.

Puthiya Thamizhagam president Dr Krishnaswamy has said the caste war was instigated by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham. Do you feel that way?

I can't say whether any political party is behind the clashes or not. I can only say one thing, they want the violence to go on so that there is tension all the time. But this attitude is not right at all. Whatever that has happened there is totally wrong. I feel the government should take a very strong stand on this. A convention of all caste associations should be called and told very clearly that action will be taken if they do not mend their ways. They should understand that by creating such an atmosphere, they are spoiling the name of the whole community. See, the whole district has come to a standstill now. If it spreads to other places, it will be very difficult for anybody to control.

That is why I have requested the chief minister not to be lenient towards any of them. We should look at it only as a law and order problem. The police should be given full freedom to treat it as a law and order problem and they should be allowed to take on-the-spot decisions so that the situation can be brought under control. This is my opinion. The time has come for the government to take tough decisions.

Are you happy with the way the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham government is handling the situation?

They think that if we cajole everybody, things can be brought under control. This will not work now. It has come to such a situation that the government has to use its strength to see that these caste clashes are stopped completely. Those who are trying to exploit the situation should also understand that the government would not allow any such tactics. Yes, in a democratic country, everybody has the right to express his opinion. You speak, you write, you give representations but no bloodshed.

What are your party's plans to prevent such clashes in future?

The TMC alone will not be able to do anything, everybody has to come together. That is why I have appealed to all the political parties to support the government in this matter. If the government takes a right decision to bring the whole thing under control, others should try to support it, instead of criticising it without any rhyme or reason.

But the opposition parties are taking advantage of the disturbances.

That is not the correct attitude and I don't agree with them at all. Yes, I also have difference of opinion with the DMK. I can't and I don't say that whatever the DMK says is right. We air our opinions, we clash on so many things but this is different. There is no point in fighting over something, which is not going to help society. I have requested all the political parties to come together, understand the reality and help in the process of bringing peace back in the troubled areas.

Don't you think AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha has now got a chance once again to start pressuring the Centre to dismiss the DMK government, citing this as a reason?

Does she need any reason to demand the dismissal? She was fighting for the dismissal without any cause or reason. Now she has got one more reason. Immediately after the clashes, she started issuing statements about the need to use Article 356.

How do you assess the performance of the DMK government?

Generally they are trying to do well. That's all I can say. There are so many shortcomings also.

You said the other day that Article 356 should be retained. Why?

Our party's view is that the Article should be retained but it should not be misused. That is why I said, an open debate is essential now.

You want it to be retained and you do not want it to be misused. Is it possible?

Yes, I am airing contradictory points when I say that it should be retained and it should not be misused. We should debate and find out in what conditions it should be used, why we should have such a provision, how to use it and why it is misused...

Why should we have such an Article at all when it is being misused most of the time?

It should be there and it is necessity. Otherwise... you know what is happening in many of the states in India. There are so many places where things are going out of hand. When such a situation arises, unless the Centre intervenes, it will not be possible for the states to maintain proper law and order.

But it has been misused several times. The Congress had been doing it all the time. Starting with the Communist government headed by E M S Namboodiripad in Kerala.

Yes, yes. That was the first time they used it.

So, why should we have an Article, which the Centre uses to dismiss an elected government in a state?

Elected governments cannot do anything they like, can they? The state governments also should not misuse the power that they have. They should know how to conduct themselves, how to run the government, etc.

But if you have a different political party ruling in the Centre, won't they have a partisan view of the states?

That is why I said, it should not be used for political compulsions and gains. The Bharatiya Janata Party had been saying all these years that they would not like to use Article 356 at any time. Didn't they say that? Now, on what basis are they trying to use it? Only because of the pressure from the coalition partners!

L K Advani said we should have a debate on Article 356. You too want a debate...

His reasoning is different from mine. Somebody said, if the President sends the recommendation of the Cabinet back, the Cabinet should not send it back again. That will give rise to so many questions when you have a democratic government at the Centre. Parliamentary system is different from the Presidential system. The President cannot be everything. In the same breath I also will say, the President is everything. That is why it is a matter to be discussed by legal pundits and the intellectual section of the society. That is the only way we can find a way out.

Will any result come out of such discussions? Some time back, we had a debate on the need to look at the Constitution, soon it fizzled out...

Yes, if we start a fruitful discussion, something will come out. Everybody is worried about Article 356. The regional parties, the state governments, everyone... They always feel that unless they have the support of the governor, there will be a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads all the time.

Do you approve of the Bihar governor's recommendation to dismiss the state government?

I think I should not comment about the actions of a governor.

Many politicians have criticised the President's decision to send the recommendation back to the Cabinet. Is it right on the part of the politicians to criticise the President of India?

I will not do it. I will not criticise the President of India. But that is a different matter. He has got the authority and constitutional power to send it back to the Cabinet to reconsider. That is what he did. Did he do anything out of the Constitution? No. His actions are very much within the Constitution.

'I have every right to say that we are here to form a government and give good governance to the people'

The Rediff Interviews