T AMIRTHALINGAM Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present petition is about an unfortunate development in a village in Cuddalore District of State of Tamil Nadu, which we hope should be an eye-opener, and which should not be permitted to occur any where in future.

(2.) The issue involved in the petition revolves about an unceremonious shifting of the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Founding Father of the Indian Constitution, from the place where it was initially located in that village and the efforts made by the petitioner to bring it back to its original location.

(3.) The petitioner is a resident of a village by name Pazhaya (Old) Pattinam in Virudhachalam Taluk of Cuddalore District. This village consists of about 700 families out of which nearly half belong to the dalit community. A statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was decided to be erected in this village in front of the Village Panchayat Library by the village panchayat. It is the case of the petitioner that a resolution to that effect was also passed on 15.8.2008 in the Special Gram Sabha Meeting. A photo copy of the resolution signed by the President of the Village Panchayat Thiru. C. Dharmalingam is annexed at page - 1 of the typed set of papers filed in support of the petition. It is not in dispute that the statue was so erected in the village, though according to the petitioner, it was erected sometime in August/September, 2008, whereas according to the Tahsildar it was erected in the 1 st week of October, 2008.