DALIT ATROCITIES - 2005 - Indian Social Institute

painful death greets us. •— —i At the neighbouring Boat village, Kari Devi (40) has just died and
the body of Rita Kumari (6), daughter of Sukar Manjhi, is being taken out on its last journey. At
Piprahi, a handful of villagers are returning after performing the last rites of 45-year-old Basrath
Manjhi. "The situation is horrible," says Ishwar Manjhi at Jalhi. In a span of less than a month, 13
villagers, mostly children, have died, he says. Most deaths were due to diarrhoea, villagers say.
"No doctor ever came here, but from the symptoms we are sure it was diarrhoea," says
Baleshwar Manjhi who himself lost his young son. Other villagers nod in confirmation. Even as
Ishwar recalls the names of the victims, a woman rushes in, crying. She whispers something to a
person and hurries back. The toll has just risen to 14. At neighbouring Bongia village, people
confess the deaths began after some starving people dug out the carcass of a goat and ate it.
Ramji Choudhary says although only a few persons had died in the village, the most likely reason
was the consumption of spurious meat. Rambriksh Manjhi, whose father was one of the victims,
confirms the account. At least three members of his family are still sick, a three-year old child
being in a serious condition. (Times of India 17/9/05)
‘Insane’ Dalit chained for two years in Orissa (2)
Kendrapada: The tropical rain lashes Upendra Naik's face as he sits on the veranda of a tworoom
asbestos house in Chauriberhampore village on the outskirts of Kendrapada town. The 32-
year-old Dalit would have moved out of the rain, only if he could. For two years, he has been
fettered there, his legs put in chains by villagers who believe he is insane. Naik is a victim of the
collective conscience of his village. In July 2003, a village committee ruled him insane and eager
vigilantes tied up the man in the veranda. The darker irony is that the state government and the
police all know about Upendra, but aren't doing anything to unshackle him from his plight.
Appeals by his wife, 27-year-old Suparna, for mercy and clemency have fallen on deaf and
insensitive ears. "All my pleadings have gone in vain. The committee refuses to hear me," she
said. Frustrated, Suparna left Upendra four months ago and moved back to her father's home,
said Ananda Naik, Upendra's father. The old man in his seventies now cooks meals and brings
them to his son three times a day. Upendra him self is tired of telling his story and tears well up
before his lips can form words. "I am an innocent person. But some unscrupulous villagers have
chained my legs." (Times of India 20/9/05)
Scheduled castes panel now serves notice to AAI (2)
New Delhi, Sept. 21: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has served notice on
Airport Authority of India to fillup all the SC/ST vacancies. The commission has also instructed
AAI to stop pension and other retirement benefits to certain senior officials of the authority who
are responsible for causing delay in the appointments of SC/ST candidates. Recently in a letter
written to chairman of the AAI, Mr Devender Vaddeti, member, NCSC, said, "As per the meeting
held on April 26, 2005, regarding the special recruitment of SC/STs drive (number of postsapproximately
300) in Airport Authority of India which was published in 2003 and to say that
chairman along with other officials of AAI assured that ‘management is giving personal attention
in this special recruitment drive and will submit the list of appointees by July 31, 2005. But till date
no reply has been received from your office." (Asian Age 22/9/05)
Scheduled Castes panel warns States (2)
NEW DELHI: Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Suraj Bhan on
Tuesday threatened to crack the whip if State Governments continued to ignore its requests for
information on various issues pertaining to SCs. Briefing mediapersons here, Mr. Bhan said
despite two months since the expiry of the deadline, not a single State Government had furnished
data on the number of SCs recruited over the past decade. "We will not tolerate this much longer.
We are empowered by law to issue summons, but this is something we have not used till date,"
Mr. Bhan said, adding that State Governments had similarly ignored the Commission's requests
for information on complaints of bogus SC certificates being used to corner jobs reserved for the
socially disadvantaged sections of society. Also, the Commission has decided to press for the
setting up of special courts to handle cases of atrocities against SCs to ensure speedy
dispensation of cases. As per figures available, 45,000 cases of atrocities against SCs were
reported from across the country in the last calendar year. However, Mr. Bhan said the actual