Dalits Media watch
News Updates 21.05.14
Dalits ostracised from village after tiff with upper castes in Punjab - India Today
Caste Hindu Trio Assaults Dalit in Thoothukudi, Booked - Indian Express
SCs denied jobs by other communities in Theni village: report - The Times Of India
Dalits provoked attack in Jalgaon village, say police - The Hindu
Lovers end lives by drowning - The Times Of India
http://timesofindia.
India Today
Dalits ostracised from village after tiff with upper castes in Punjab
Manjeet Sehgal | Mail Today | Chandigarh, May 21, 2014 | UPDATED 11:32 IST
People of the Dalit community outside the DC office.
The Dalit community is facing social ostracisation after they had a tiff with their upper caste landlords over the lease of a 27-acre plot at a village in Punjab's Sangrur district, 130 km from here.
Sources said the Dalit villagers were keen to get the land auctioned at a lower price, which their upper caste counterparts of Bopur village objected to. The community wanted the land leased to them for a year at a nominal price. The influential landlords allegedly threatened the Dalits over the loudspeakers. The supply lines which supplied potable water to the Dalit homes were snapped and they were warned not to use ponds and water tanks in the village.
No water
"They (the influential landlords) have blocked water supply to our homes, fields and sheds. It was also announced on the loudspeaker that anybody employing people of our community will be imposed a fine of Rs 21,000," a Bopur Dalit said.
In a memorandum submitted to Sangrur Additional Deputy Commissioner Pritam Singh Johal on Monday, the Dalits said, the landlords have not only blocked the water supply but also stopped them from entering their fields.
In shock
Many of these Dalits work as labourers in the farms of the upper caste landlords. They also alleged that their upper caste villagers also made casteist remarks against them over the loudspeaker.
"The people of our community are shocked after the incident. We have requested the Deputy Commissioner to take appropriate action against the people involved in the incident," Secretary of Guru Ravidas Welfare society, Bopur, Raj Kumar said.
On Tuesday, the Sangrur district administration swung into action and restored the main water supply line in the village. But the supply line to the Sant Ravidas temple remained disconnected. "Incident like this is anti-constitutional.
Though the water supply has been restored by the administration, but the issue of ostracisation and the insult done by using loudspeakers has shocked the people who may leave the village," President of Aadi Dharam Samaj, Rajpal said.
The Sangrur administration said that the water supply to the Dalit settlements has been restored. It, however, denied the Dalits were threatened by the upper caste landlords.
Complaint
"There was a tiff between the landlords and the Dalits over the auction of village common land. The Dalits have filed a complaint against the upper caste people. We have ordered a magisterial probe. The sub-divisional magistrate has been asked to file a detailed report. The initial probe has not found the allegations of threatening Dalits on loudspeakers. We will take appropriate action on the basis of report," Additional Deputy Commissioner Pritam Singh Johal said.
Indian Express
Caste Hindu Trio Assaults Dalit in Thoothukudi, Booked
By Express News Service
THOOTHUKUDI/KARUR: A 21-year-old Dalit youth was physically and verbally abused by three caste Hindus after he asked the trio to move out of the road and give way for his car to proceed at Ubakaramathapuram Junction near Thattarmadam in Thoothukudi district on Monday.
The Dalit youth identified as Maharajan, a farmer by profession and son of Esakkiappan of Ubakaramathapuram. He was into his family profession of agriculture. On Monday, he was going to Tirunelveli in a car with his family members on a personal work.
While the car in which Maharajan was travelling neared Ubakaramathapuram junction, three caste Hindus, Kumar, Ganesan and Murugaiah, were standing in the middle of the road. They were involved in a discussion among themselves obstructing the movement of vehicles. So, Maharajan and his car driver had asked them to move away from the road and give way for the car.
This infuriated the three caste Hindus. The trio started verbally abusing the family members of Maharajan calling them by their caste name.
When Maharajan questioned them, the trio pulled Maharajan out of the car and started attacking him with rods.
In the incident, Maharajan sustained serious injuries on his left hand, stomach and in some parts of the body.
Maharajan was immediately rushed to the Tirunelveli government hospital. Based on the complaint of Maharajan a case was registered at Thattarmadam police station against the caste Hindu trio under section 294(b), 323,324, 341 of IPC and under section 3 (1)(X) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Meanwhile, in Karur district, police booked three persons under the Prevention of Atrocities Against SC/ST Act and 12 Dalits under various sections on Tuesday in connection with a group clash that took place a couple of days ago.
According to police, Ganesh, a Dalit and Thirumalaisami of a dominant caste, both from Soundrapuram of Velambadi panchayat near Pallappatti had picked up a quarrel on Monday.
Both had exchanged derogatory remarks using caste names, which incited several others to back the fight.
Tension prevailed in the area. However, police officials had intercepted and took the situation under control, preventing the break out of communal clash.
Ganesh, Thirumalaisami and others had sustained injuries and were admitted to the Pallappatti Government Hospital and Aravakurichi Government Hospital respectively.
Based on a complaint lodged by Ramachandran, police had booked three, Gopal alias Nandagopal, Thirumalaisami and Kumar under SC/ST Act.
On the complaint lodged by the Nandagopal, Aravakurichi police booked ten persons including Ganesh, Danapal, Balan alias Subramanian, Raja, Vetri, Muruganand, Kalaiarasan, Appasetu, Prabhu and Ramachandran under various acts. They are also on the look out for two others.
The Times Of India
SCs denied jobs by other communities in Theni village: report
L Saravanan,TNN | May 21, 2014, 11.11 AM IST
MADURAI: A fact-finding team of activists, which visited Melamangalam and Uthapuram villages in Theni district where communal violence occurred, said arunthathiyars are facing discrimination. While releasing its report on Monday, the team demanded various measures to improve the condition of the backward community.
On April 6, more than 100 hamlets of the scheduled caste (arunthathiar) community were allegedly set on fire by the people belonging to intermediate castes in Melamangalam. Meanwhile, dalits were denied entry to temple in Uthapuram village in Usilampatti taluk in Madurai district.
About 100 arunthathiar families are living alongside communities of ambalakarar, kallar, maravar, asari, pillaimar and chettiar in Melamangalam village, said advocate Rajini, who is a member of the team.
The elopement of an arunthathiar boy, one Suresh, and a kallar girl, Muthulakshmi, in the first week of April gave rise to tensions that finally erupted in the form of arson. The boy's side couldn't hand over the girl, though they were asked to by a few of her relatives. They had made the same demand to G M Murugan, the chief of the arunthathiars in the village. However, Suresh's parents said they did not know the whereabouts of the lovers. Once, there were heated arguments between the two parties which resulted in police complaint against Murugan.
On April 6, a 17-year-old arunthathiar boy was beaten up by a group. Provocative comments by one arunthathiar man irked the girl's community so much so that the houses of Suresh's community was set on fire, the report said, while adding that 20 people of the dominant caste were booked under the SC/ST Atrocities Act and arrested, but they came out on bail in a week's time.
The report also stated that the arunthathiars are denied jobs in Melamangalam by other communities. "Arunthathiars who are fully dependent on the dominant communities for work are denied job. A worker in a PDS shop was sent out. Only seven scavengers have been allowed to continue work. Many who have fled from the village are yet to return," the report said.
In Uthapuram village too the dalits are facing problems, the report added.
The team recommended setting up of police outpost, cancellations of bails and enabling self-employment opportunities in Melamangalam. The Uthapuram temple should be brought under the control of HR&CE and criminals who attacked officials who went for peace talk should be identified and booked, the report suggested.
The team consisted of A Marx of People's Union for Human Rights, advocate Rajini and K Palanisamy, A Syed Abdul Kadhar of National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations and Adhi Thamizhar Peravai's state vice-president Viduthalai Veeran. It visited both Melamangalam and Uthapuram on May 14 and met concerned people.
The Hindu
Dalits provoked attack in Jalgaon village, say police
Amruta Byatnal
Five days after Dalits were beaten up at Bodwad village in Jalgaon for playing songs on Ambedkar over the loudspeaker, the police on Monday said a few youngsters from the community had caused the provocation by insulting upper caste women.
Fourteen persons from the upper caste Mali and Maratha communities have been arrested.
Activists in Jalgaon said Dalits had played Buddhist and Ambedkar’s songs over loudspeakers during a wedding. “People from the higher caste could not tolerate the music. Around 100 people from the Maratha community abused them and beat them up. Six of the Dalits have been seriously injured,” activist Sham Sonar told The Hindu on the phone.
The police, however, say tensions between the two communities started a week ago after Dalit youth abused and threw stones at women who defecated in public. “The women did not want to register a formal complaint. The youth of the two communities clashed over the issue, and some people were injured,” said Additional Superintendent of Police M.S. Thorat.
The police have registered a case of assault on women under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code against the Dalit youth.
The 14 people arrested for the attack on Dalits face various charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
They have been remanded in police custody for a week.
Cases of atrocities on Dalits are on the rise in Maharashtra. A man was burnt in Gondia district on Saturday. A youth was murdered for talking to an upper caste girl in Ahmednagar in April.
The Times Of India
Lovers end lives by drowning
http://timesofindia.
TNN | May 21, 2014, 01.06 PM IST
RAJKOT: Fearing that they may not be able to get married, two lovers ended their lives by jumping into an abandoned limestone mine filled with water near Aji damon Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Mukesh Chavda (19) of Ambedkar Nagar and Bindu Bedva (18) of Mafatiyapara area.
Sources said Mukesh and Bindu, both dalits, feared they would not be able to tie the nuptial knot due to social pressures and decided to end their lives together.
Their suicide came into light when a passersby Rakesh Chavda, who was going from Rajkot city to Mahika Village on Bhavnagar Road, spotted them drowning. He informed the fire brigade personnel who reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. But the two were dead by the time they were fished out of the waters.
Monitored By Girish Pant
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
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Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
..............................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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