DALIT ATROCITIES IN INDIA - 2004 - Indian Social Institute

AHMEDABAD, SEPTEMBER 12: AMID all the clamour for job reservation in the private sector, aDalit couple has proved their point by clearing an exam for government jobs in the generalcategory. Prakash Majumdar and his wife Sujata Solanki, who learnt on Wednesday that theyhave passed the Gujarat Public Service Commission examination, said they wanted to prove thatDalits can make it to the top even without reservation. We had decided from the beginning wewould not mention in the application forms that we belonged to the Scheduled Castes. SayusPrakash. And prove they did: Sujata ranked 39 th , and hopes would be made a DeputySuperintendent of Police, Prakash came 11oth and hopes for a section officer’s post. (IndianExpress 13.9.04)18 th SeptemberDalit raped, killed in Bihar; month on, accused at large (2)Patna, September 17: A MONTH after a Dalit was raped and murdered, allegedly by relatives ofan RJD legislator in the constituency of Chief Minister Rabri Devi, the police is yet to makeheadway in the probe. The 18-year-old was murdered on August 26 after she ignored threats andfiled a police complaint, 10 days after she was raped. The victim's brother, Rajkumar Das, saidaccused Uday Rai and Nanhaki Rai had threatened to kill her if she did not withdraw the rapecase. "They are still threatening us," he said. The Chamar community, to which the victimbelonged, has also been threatened. According to the Vaishali police, Uday and Nanhaki, bothrelatives of MLC Uday Narain Rai of the RJD, are absconding. Villagers of Raghopur Diera, however,said they were roaming around freely and were not being arrested because of the politicalclout they wield. Uday Narain Rai had vacated the Raghopur Assembly seat for Rabri Devi andconsequently, was nominated to the upper house of the legislature. Rai said the accused werehis relatives but he was not shielding them. "I have not seen them in the past six months," hesaid. (Indian Express 18.9.04)26 th SeptemberPoverty drives Dalit .student to suicide (2)JAIPUR, Sept. 25. — There might be various government schemes for scheduled caste students,but their benefits are not reaching the ground level, as apparent from a recent suicide by a Dalitteenager. Rajinder, a 17-year-old Dalit student, committed suicide in Sadulsahar ofSriganganagar district after his parents could not pay his school fee or meet his treatmentexpenses. A student of class .1.1, Rajinder was a meritorious student and had scored about 70per cent marks in his matriculation examination. His father, Hari Ram, is a daily wager and worksfor other People in fields. A few days ago, Rajinder had asked for Rs 275 as computer fees. Butas Hari gets most of his payment after the crops are collected, he didn't have the amount andpromised to arrange it in some days. In the meantime, Rajinder fell ill and his family once againcould not afford to pay for his treatment. "The poor economic condition of the family apparentlydepressed Rajinder. He committed suicide on Thursday evening by hanging himself with a ropewhen he was alone in the house," police said. (Statesman 26.9.04)27 th SeptemberPanel on SCs to seek panchayat feedback from Dalits nationwide (2)New Delhi: THE NATIONAL Commission for Scheduled Castes plans to call a state-wise interactionwith members of panchayats from the Dalit community for a feedback on how theirpowers or institutions are being usurped. The nationwide sessions will start with a meet of panchand sarpanch of five districts of Haryana in Ambala in the end of October. With elected Dalitsfrom the lowest rung of political ladder detailing their problems in states, these meetings maybring State Governments under direct scrutiny of the constitutional commission. Chairman of theNational Commission, Mr Suraj Bhan, told The Pioneer, "There are cases with us to show theposts for Dalits are being manipulated by unscrupulous elements for illegal political power."Terming his initiative "an attempt at understanding the problems faced by Dalit representativesfirst hand", Mr Bhan said, "It will start with Haryana from where serious complaints have beenlodged in the past and then move over as a nationwide exercise." The meetings in big states likeUttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh will be held in more than one legs.The experimental meeting will comprise all the Dalit elected members of five Haryana districts —