Violence against Dalits continues to rise. Whether it is in the upper levels of the government, or it is in the streets or in one’s own home; Dalits remain unsafe. These attacks continue to take place regularly and often even get under-eported as it is almost become normal. Sabrang India brings to you the weekly roundup of atrocities against Dalits this week and looks at whether proactive actions have been taken against these cases by law enforcement officers.
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
In Ayodhya, where the BJP government is building the Ram Mandir, a horrifying incident of violence against Dalits has emerged where Dalit women were subjected to a vicious attack by men from the Thakur community. The video of the injured women emerged on social media on September 14.
In response to this incident, the police has stated on Twitter that they have initiated legal proceedings and is actively pursuing appropriate actions.
Despite the severity of the attack, coverage of this story has mostly remained limited to social media and alternate media so far.
This is horrifying,
Dalit women were brutally beaten by casteist Thakurs and left drenched in blood in Ayodhya of Ramrajya, UP.
Please take strict action up police. pic.twitter.com/5GUdZTiHuK
— Susheel shinde (@susheelshinde98) September 14, 2023
उक्त प्रकरण मे प्रभारी निरीक्षक तारुन द्वारा अभियोग पंजीकृत कर आवश्यक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
— AYODHYA POLICE (@ayodhya_police) September 14, 2023
Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh
In the early hours of Friday morning, the village of Mohideenpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was witness to a horrifying act of violence against some members of the most downtrodden group in India. Three members of a Dalit family were killed in cold blood as they lay asleep their hut. Hori Lal, a 62-year-old farmer, his 22-year-old daughter, Brijkali, and her 26-year-old husband, Shiv Sagar, all fell victim to this brutal murder that has shaken the village and turned it upside down, according to the Mooknayak.
The incident is said to have been motivated by an alleged property dispute between Hori Lal and his neighbors, who belong to the Other Backward Classes category.
In the aftermath of the murder grief-stricken and angry public protested the murder by setting things on fire and breaking property. The houses of the alleged perpetrators, who had fled the scene, were also set ablaze after the horrifying murder was discovered.
Law enforcement officials responded to the scene upon receiving reports of the triple murder and the developing situation as Kaushambi’s Superintendent of Police, Brijesh Srivastava, confirmed that the situation is now under control, but four suspects remain at large, their whereabouts unknown, “The names of four people have come out as the accused. They are absconding. We are in search of them. We are collecting all the information. ”
To prevent further worsening of the aggravated situation, police presence has been deployed in the village.
Dalit Man slapped, abused for winning Sabrimala tender to prepare Unni Appam in Kerala pic.twitter.com/z2UtnweMgn
— Bahujan Lives Matter (@BahujanLives) September 10, 2023
Trivandrum, Kerala
In Kerala, a Dalit man was slapped and abused for having secured the tender to provide sweets offered at the acclaimed Sabarimala Temple. It is noted that Dalits face violence and hurdles especially in professions where they are required to handle food. Indian society’s pre-occupation with caste has made it difficult for Dalits to work and live with dignity.
The two accused are now facing serious charges for their alleged assault and casteist verbal assault on a Dalit man and are currently on the run. Travancore Devaswom Board had given the tender to the victim, Subi, to prepare unniyappam, a traditional sweet fritter offered at the Sabarimala temple. However, the professional success that should have been celebrated instead resulted in garnering humiliation and violence. Subi is from the Pulaya community which classified as a Scheduled Caste in Kerala.
The incident occurred on September 2 when Subi was targeted by the accused individuals, identified as Ramesh alias Krishnankutty and Jagadeesh. These two men were enraged at the fact that a Dalit man had gotten the tender to prepare the sweet according to The Newsminute. Ramesh and Jagadeesh allegedly threatened him against entering the temple, spat on him, and slapped him across the face, all in the presence of witnesses.
According to The Newsminute, the victim was standing in the parking lot of the Devaswom Board office in Nanthancode when the accused men confronted him and launched a series of casteist slurs and insults. According to reports by the Times of India, they also questioned how Subi could have gotten tender, and said that the temple belonged to “Hindus and not Pulayas.”
The Thiruvananthapuram police has booked Ramesh and Jagadeesh under Sections 294(b) (dealing with obscene acts and songs) and 34 (pertaining to acts committed by several persons with a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, they were charged under Section 3(1) (s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. As of now, the police are actively pursuing the absconding accused, ensuring that justice is served in this disturbing case of caste-based discrimination and violence.
Dalit Man slapped, abused for winning Sabrimala tender to prepare Unni Appam in Kerala pic.twitter.com/z2UtnweMgn
— Bahujan Lives Matter (@BahujanLives) September 10, 2023
Kashmir
A Dalit IAS officer Ashok Parmar from Jammu & Kashmir has asserted that he has been harrassed due to his caste location of a Dalit. The officer claims to have been transferred half a dozen times in the past year, according to The Mooknayak.
Several parties have spoken in his favour. For instance, the Congress’ spokesperson Pawan Khera has raised questions about the treatment of the officer and said that the move is to apparently hide a multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam in the region. They have also questioned why the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has not taken action on his complaint.
The JJM scheme was instituted to deliver clean drinking water to all rural households via tap connections by 2024.
Khera has also further asked, “Why, in the wake of his exposé, was a Dalit IAS officer subjected to harassment and targeting? Why did those officers involved in embezzlement and financial misconduct, who burdened the public treasury and harmed our citizens, receive promotions?”
He further questioned why, despite complaints lodged with the Home Ministry and calls for a CBI investigation, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and the Narendra Modi government have not initiated a thorough inquiry into the multiple irregularities and alleged corrupt practices in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
जम्मू-कश्मीर में ‘जल जीवन योजना’ के तहत 13,000 करोड़ रुपये के भ्रष्टाचार का मामला सामने आया है।
यहां G-20 की आड़ में LG-420 को छिपाया जा रहा है।
जब अशोक परमार नाम के IAS अफसर इस गबन को सामने लाते हैं, तो उनका साल में 4-5 बार ट्रांसफर और LG द्वारा अपमान किया जाता है।
वहीं अशोक… pic.twitter.com/xdFnvVQRyU
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 11, 2023
The Congress spokesperson also questioned the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, asking why they haven’t issued a show cause notice to the Lieutenant Governor’s office despite the serious allegations of harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment made by the Dalit IAS officer. He suggested that, following a proper investigation, charges under the SC-ST (Prevention of) Atrocities Act should be applicable.
A case of corruption worth Rs 13,000 crore has come to light under ‘Jal Jeevan Yojana’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
Here LG-420 is being hidden under the guise of G-20.
When an IAS officer named Ashok Parmar exposed this embezzlement, he was transferred 4-5 times a year and insulted… pic.twitter.com/Xfx8wjvMle
— Spirit of Congress✋ (@SpiritOfCongres) September 11, 2023
The National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah has also asked for an impartial enquiry to be taken in the allegations by Parmar, according to Mooknayak.
The IAS officer has approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and has sought redressal for the harassment at the hands of the Jammu and Kashmir administration. While the J&K administration has denied the allegations by Parmar in a press conference they have held earlier. Parmar has claimed there were irregularities in the pipe supply tendering process, but Jal Shakti Department Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra has maintained that all work allocations and pipe material procurement have been conducted transparently through the tendering process since 2019. He has asserted further that every transaction is accessible on the department’s website.
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
News emerged on 14 September of an elderly Dalit man being kidnapped and beaten by a local BJP leader led gang in Chopda Kalan Village. The village falls under Sukhi Sevaniya police station limits in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The BJP leader is also said, too, have allegedly urinated on the man when he asked for water. The men took him in an SUV and beat up the Dalit man when he told encroachers to get off government land. They beat him up again and locked him in a room after that, according to Times of India.
The Superintendent of Bhopal (rural) has said that seven people have been arrested so far.
A 39-year-old Dalit man was abducted and beaten up by a gang led by a local BJP leader, who also urinated on the victim. The incident occurred at Chopda Kalan village under Sukhi Sevaniya police station limits in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/zAFL1bciwP
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) September 14, 2023
Bharatpur, Rajasthan
A government school teacher in Bharatpur district was apprehended by the police on Saturday for reportedly assaulting a Dalit student who was studying in 7th grade merely because the child used water from the staff’s water cooler. The boy was also assaulted with casteist slurs, reportedly. This incident occurred after the student drank water from a container reserved for the staff on Friday, according to Outlook India.
The 12-year-old victim claimed that three students took water from the container intended for the staff, however only he was the only one to be subjected to physical violence. He recounted, that after the morning prayer, students came out of the classroom. Due to some accident while filling water, students ended up spilling some water due to which there was a shortage and students had to take water from the staff’s cooler. He continued, narrating, that two of his classmates and he filed water from the staff’s cooler in their bottles. However, he was only one who was beaten.
The victim’s brother from Bhimnagar Pahariya Ambedkar Colony, spoke to Times of India stating that, “When my brother attended school on Friday, he was brutally assaulted by the teacher for drinking water from a container meant for the staff. Gangaram also used casteist slurs and attacked the child with sticks and blows, leaving marks on his back.”
He mentioned that the victim’s father had succumbed to silicosis in 2012, and his mother had passed away from typhoid in 2013. Singh’s complaint also reportedly said that the school officials had come to his house the following day and asked to resolve the issue by providing monetary incentive of 2 lakhs.
On Saturday morning, enraged family members and villagers gathered at the government school protesting against the incident and the accused teacher, Gangaram Gurjar. The police soon arrived at the school, rescued him from the crowd, and took him to the police station.
Superintendent of Bharatpur Mridul Kachawa l has confirmed the teacher’s detention, “The teacher has been detained, and a case has been registered based on the complaint.”
The crowd also attempted to block the state highway but was dispersed by the police. A police officer mentioned that a committee led by an official has been appointed to investigate the matter. “A committee has been established to probe the incident. Based on the committee’s findings, appropriate action will be taken.”
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