DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

around 46 km from district headquarters - where the girl was abducted by one J P Singh, 20, while shewas going to attend nature's call. The accused took her to a desolate place and raped her. He doused herwith kerosene and torched her fearing a police complaint, said sources. She was spotted by some of thelocal villagers who rushed her to district hospital. In her statement she told police that she was raped andthen set afire. A case of rape and attempt to murder has been registered against the accused. (Times ofIndia 11/5/13)Siddaramaiah seeks support of Dalit for effective administration (2)MYSORE/CHAMRAJNAGAR: CM-designate Siddaramaiah on Sunday sought to reach out to Dalitcommunity, which is angry that his elevation has denied their leader Mallikarjuna Kharge the CM's post."Naanu Dalitane (I'm also a Dalit)," he said when asked about protests by Dalit activists in parts ofKarnataka, including Kharge's home district Gulburga and Mysore and Chamarajnagar districts. It is truethat Kharge should have become the CM long back. This time the high command has tasked me with theCM's job. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi have picked me up andasked me to shoulder the responsibility. I'm also a Dalit having come from backward class, he saidseeking cooperation of Dalit community. He said he will ensure social justice during his rule and appealedto the community to support him. The CM made an unscheduled visit to Dalit litterateur DevanuraMahadeva at his Kuvempunagar residence and spent with him for 30 minutes. This comes on a day whenNanjangud observed bandh against the Congress leaders for not nominating a Dalit as the CM.Significantly, Nanjangud taluk forms part of Siddaramaiah's Varuna constituency. The temple town shutdown a day after Dalit leaders held a rally against the Congress decision. The City Congress office isransacked by a group of 15-20 people who were upset that Kharge is not named the CM. The youths,who entered the Congress office located on the first floor in Devaraja Market, shouted slogans against theCongress leader and ransacked the office. They later left the spot. When contacted, the City Congresschief C Dase Gowda said they are not sure who the protestors were. "Our staff were not present at thetime and had gone downstairs. It all happened in a couple of minutes. The damage is minor." He said hewas on his way to Bangalore when the cops called him to inform about the incident. When I asked ourstaff at the office, they said they were youths. We've not filed any police complaint, he stated. Meanwhile,Chamarajanagar unit of DSS asked the Congress leadership to divide the five year equally and elevateKharge as the CM after 30 months. DSS convenor Alur Nagendra said Dalit MLAs should make such ademand too. Siddaramaiah is a leader from the backward classes. We want Kharge to be made the CMafter 30 months, he stated. (Times of India 12/5/13)Dalit woman attacked for drawing water from handpump (2)MADHUBANI: A dalit woman was injured when a man attacked her with a sharp weapon today fordrawing water from a handpump in a village in Bihar's Madhubani district, police said. Mantorami Devi(33)was attacked by Marhu Yadav who was infuriated with her for drawing water from a public handpump atJhauwa village. The woman was injured in both her hands when she tried to fend him off, police said,adding she was rushed to the local primary health centre which referred her to Darbhanga MedicalCollege and Hospital (DMCH). The attacker is absconding and raids are on to nab him, police said.(Times of India 13/5/13)No end to caste violence in Pabnawa village, two more Dalits attacked again (2)Kaithal: Just when the elders from both Dalit and Ror communities were deliberating on putting an end tocaste tension at Pabnawa village, a group of youths from the dominating community allegedly attackedand injured two Dalits on late Tuesday night. One of the injured Ram Mehar, 23, was admitted to theadvance trauma centre of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER),Chandigarh, in a serious condition. Sunil, another Dalit, also sustained injuries and is undergoingtreatment at the local civil hospital. Agitated over the incident, a large number of Dalits, including women