DALIT ATROCITIES IN INDIA - 2004 - Indian Social Institute

In Punjab, a division along caste lines (2)Far away from the glitter of 'Shining India,' the Dalits in Punjab are finding themselves subjectedto increased discrimination after having exercised their 'free will' in the recent elections to theState Assembly and panchayats. They are now uncertain about casting their vote in the comingLok Sab-ha elections. Some Dalit leaders have even been deprived of their voting rights forspeaking out against discrimination by the "upper castes." A much-publicised clash betweenDalits and the prosperous lat Sikhs over the control of a place of worship in Talhan in lalandharled to the administration taking action recently. But Dalits feel the police and the bureaucracyhave been ineffective in checking discrimination elsewhere in Punjab such as Kurd, Hassanpur(Sangrur) and Dyon (Bhatinda) villages. In Kurd, close to Andhra Pradesh Governor Surjit SinghBarnala's hometown, farmers refuse to give directions to the Harijan panchayat building wherethe Dalits have assembled to narrate their side of the story. They are being "taught a lesson" forputting up a candidate against an upper caste-supported Dalit in the panchayat elections. Mudwas dumped on the road to block sewage from their homes flowing into the traditional sewagepond. The sewage has accumulated on the road, stopped bus services and entered their homes.They are being harassed in other ways too. The village headman has stopped the payment of oldage pension to 85-year-old Babu Singh, his blind wife Dilip Kaur and the infirm Mangat Singh. Healso refused to attest the marriage of Jagraj Singh's daughter, depriving him of a cash grant fromthe Punjab Government at a time when there is little employment for the Dalits because of mechanisationand the inflow of migrant labour. (The Hindu 24.3.04)29 th MarchDalits’ tilt towards BJP worries Congress (2)New Delhi: The Congress manifesto has gone all out to regain its traditional base among Dalitsand tribals voters. The renewed thrust on regaining the disenchanted voters is out of concern thatthis segment has steadily shifted towards the BJP. The BJP stole the show in constituenciesreserved for the Scheduled Caste and Tribes in 1999 general elections and the more recentAssembly polls,. Of the 79 constituencies set aside for the Scheduled Castes, the BJP bagged 25seats in 1999. The party put up a good show in reserved constituencies in Madhya Pradesh(undivided), Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (Undivided). (Pioneer 29.3.040)Dalits angry about Bangaru treatment (2)New Delhi, March 2: Even as the BJP has denied ticket to former party president BangaruLaxman, there is growing resentment among the dalits within the party for handling out stepmotherlytreatment to him, primarily because he happens to be a dalit. There is all the moreresentment in this section of BJP workers over drawing a parallel between Mr Laxaman andformer Union minister Dilip Singh Jedeo. Recently, BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan toldreporters that during screening of the names at the party’s central election committee meetchaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee it was decided not to nominate either of thembecause of the taint involved in their being seen on camera taking money. However Mr. Laxman’ssupporters say there is a vast difference between the two cases. (Asian Age 29.3.04)31 st MarchDon’t tell India Shining to these Dalits (2)Just 25 kilometres away lies Mahad, where Dr B.R. Ambedkar launched his campaign againstuntouchability over six decades ago. But for the Dalits of Kuravade, a dusty village in Mangaontaluka of Raigad district, it may as well have been another world. It’s been a year since they weresocially boycotted by the rest of the village, and they have been struggling to cope with its effectsever since. Their crime: they drew water from the common village well. That too only after somemiscreants threw human excreta in the well near their hamlet following an altercation with them.This happened in March last year. It was a local NGO Sarvahjara Jan Andolan which staged asatyagraha and encouraged the Dalits to draw water from the common well. (Indian Express31.3.04)27 th AprilIn Venkaiah’s town, tell us your caste if you want water (2)