DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2009 - Indian Social Institute

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot demanding protection of their religious rights and ensuring their “equal
participation” in the yagna by accommodating them on at least four of the 11 podiums. Bhanwar
Meghwanshi of Dalit Adivasi Evum Ghumantu Adhikar Abhiyan said the district administration had made
a “perfunctory intervention” in the matter twice on January 17 and 23 by brokering an agreement with the
temple clergy. “The agreement, imposing humiliating conditions on Dalits, is an eyewash,” he said. The
452 Dalit families in Tiloli village falling in Asind tehsil of Bhilwara district belong mainly to Khateek, Balai,
Raigar, Sargara and Harijan castes. They have been at the receiving end in the social interactions with
the higher castes with the incidents of harassment and discrimination regularly reported over the
decades. The yagna in the Hanuman temple, revered by the members of all castes among Hindus, is to
be performed by a team of priests headed by Pandit Suryaprakash Gaur. Mahant Rameshwar Das, a
respected sage, and mythological storyteller Krishnababu Dadhich from Vrindavan have been specially
invited to the religious event. During the seven days of the yagna, a number of rituals such as Dashvidya
Snan, Dev Sthapana, Kalash Yatra, Rudri Ahuti, Purush Sukta, Hanuman Sahasra Namavali Havan,
Balidaan Purnahuti and Mahaprasadi have been planned at 11 podiums at the venue where the yagna
fire will be lit. The delegation members pointed out that the yagna sponsors had felled about 100 trees on
the pasture land without the district administration’s permission and collected the wood for use at the site.
When Dalits pointed out the illegality, priest Mangilal Mali allegedly banned their entry into the temple.
The Jaipur-based Centre for Dalit Rights has demanded registration of a case under the Protection of
Civil Rights Act, 1955, against the temple clergy for stopping Dalits from attending a public function and
immediate steps for their protection during and after the yagna in the village. CDR Director Satish Kumar
said Bhilwara should be declared an atrocity-prone district under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. (The Hindu 5/2/09)
Cop sent to jail for torturing Dalit girl (2)
LUCKNOW: The sacked sub-inspector of the Jaswantnagar police station in Etawah district of Uttar
Pradesh, Shyam Lal Yadav, has been sent to jail on charges of torturing a six-year old Dalit girl. He has
been booked under Section 323 and 506 of IPC and the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The other accused, Station House Officer Chandra Bhan Singh, has been
granted bail. He too had been charged under Sections 323 and 506. Both the accused had surrendered
before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Etawah. Additional Director-General of Police (Law &
Order) Brij Lal told newsmen here on Wednesday that the case registered against the girl by Anju
Katheria was found to be false. He said action under Section 182 of Cr. PC has been initiated against Ms.
Katheria. The incident of police excesses on a Dalit child on charges of theft had created a furore. The
State Director-General of Police, Vikram Singh, sent strong directives to the district police chiefs and
other senior police officers to ensure that no human right violation is committed by policemen. Mr. Singh
said some policemen were insensitive towards the people as a result of which complaints of human rights
excesses were coming in regularly. (The Hindu 5/2/09)
Dalits create ruckus in AP House (2)
Hyderabad: Dalit activists of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) raised a ruckus in the
Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday by scaling its building and locking themselves up in ministers'
chambers forcing the police to break the doors and arrest the miscreants. The protests came after the
Assembly was adjourned for the day and when no minister was present in the chambers. The protesters,
about 40 in all, were demanding Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to immediately leave for Delhi to
convince the party leadership to introduce a bill in the ongoing Parliament session to categorise the
Scheduled Castes (SC) on the lines of the BC categorisation to avail reservation benefits. The police said
the protesters apparently got inside the high-security Assembly building with the help of visitor passes
and managed to find their way to the top of the building. Raising slogans against the chief minister for not
fulfilling the promise he gave to them, they threatened to throw themselves down from the building if no
assurance was forthcoming from the chief minister. The protesters divided themselves in to four groups.
While one group climbed to the top of the building, three groups took over chambers of three ministers.
The police broke down doors of some chambers while using the ventilators to gain access to the
chambers. After a couple of hours of tension, all the protesters were arrested. (Deccan Herald 5/2/09)
Vedic School opens doors to Dalits, non-Brahmins (2)