DALIT ATROCITIES - 2005 - Indian Social Institute

show of caste amity turned out to be a sham of sorts with police sneaking in over 25 Dalits who
were acceptable to the upper caste Thevar leaders, virtually at the last minute, while arresting
leading Dalit activists. Dalits had been barred from the festival in recent years after the upper-cast
Thevars and local nattars (descendants of the royal family) objected to their participation, leading
to caste clashes in the region. With Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa not wanting to antagonise the
dominant Thevars or risk a caste clash in this Sivaganga district village, about 400 km from
Chennai, district authorities and state police ensured that the court directive was followed only in
letter. They did so by handpicking 25 Dalits, mostly Kandadevi local body staff and owing
allegiance to the AIADMK, to drag the chariot. (Indian Express 23/6/05)
No Dalit was allowed to take part in temple festival' (2)
CHENNAI: : Not a single Dalit was allowed to pull the car at Kandadevi in Sivaganagai district on
Tuesday, and the district administration's claim that the Dalits had taken part in large numbers
was far from truth, Puthiya Thamizhagam president K. Krishnasami said Wednesday. The
Madras High Court's directive that the administration should ensure full participation of the Dalits
was "violated", Dr. Krishnasamy told presspersons here. He alleged that only 13 Dalits,
handpicked up the administration, were allowed to take part; even they were allowed only to
"touch" the rope and whisked away after the car started its journey. A day before, the police
arrested more than 1000 Dalits, including 250 women, from 178 villages at and around
Kandadevi. While Dalit leaders, including him, were prevented, caste Hindu leaders were allowed
to take part in the festival. Members of a fact-finding committee, set up by the party, were also not
permitted to visit Kandadevi. They were arrested along with Dalit leaders. He demanded action
against the Collector under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Dr. Krishnasamy said the
party was planning to file a contempt petition against the State Government for violating the court
order. The Left parties were trying to politicise the issue. The party considered the incident a
"national shame" and would observe mourning for seven days. The Dalits would wear black
badges and hoist black flags in their homes. It was also planning to stage a demonstration in front
of the Raj Bhavan here on July 4 and submit a memorandum to the Governor, demanding action
against the Government for "discriminating" against the Dalits (Ref: The Hindu 23/6/05)
Rajasthan Dalit body opposes disbanding of village police post (2)
JAIPUR: The Centre for Dalit Rights has demanded strengthening of the permanent police post
established in September 2002 at Chakwada village, near here, after violence over Dalits'
assertion of their right to bath in the public pond. The villagers belonging to so-called higher
castes have been pressing for disbanding of the police post following the dismissal of the criminal
case against 17 persons in connection with violence and atrocities on Dalits. The CDR, in a
memorandum submitted to the District Collector, Sudhansh Pant, pointed out that if the police
post was removed from the village, there was an apprehension that the local Dalits might face
harassment by the miscreants once again. A large number of people were injured in a clash
between police and higher caste people in September 2002 when the latter stopped a march of
Dalits to the village to exercise their right of access to the public pond. The chairperson of CDR,
P.L. Mimroth, said the villagers were once again creating tension by polluting the pond in a bid to
prevent Dalits from taking bath there and demanding that the police post be removed. "The
authorities seem to be amenable to their unreasonable demand and are likely to disband the
police post established on the directions of the State Human Rights Commission," he said. The
Special Court functioning under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act here had dismissed the case in connection with the Chakwada incidents in April
last and discharged all the 17 accused at the preliminary stage. Mr. Mimroth alleged that the
prosecution had played a biased role in pursuing the case. The CDR intends to prefer a revision
in the Rajasthan High Court against the Special Court's judgment. Mr. Mimroth said the district
administration should take steps for proper maintenance and cleanliness of the village pond and
ensure that the law and order situation in the region was not disturbed. The delegation which met
the Collector here on Tuesday to apprise him of the situation in Chakwada and make the demand
for keeping the miscreants under check included Mr. Mimroth, State secretary of the National
Campaign for Dalit Human Rights, Satish Kumar, CDR convenor, Ramdayal Bairwa, and a Dalit
activist from Chakwada, Babulal Bairwa (Ref: The Hindu 23/6/05)