DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

so many schemes and provisions that we have become arrogant. The two have also pressured theSDMC (School Development and Monitoring Committee) to expel me, so they could drive me out of thevillage,” she claimed. Though she has been working in the school for six years, the harassment startedafter the husband-wife duo joined the school in 2011. After entreaties to the Block Education Officer wentin vain, Ms. Kamalakshi filed a complaint against the two at the Konaje Police Station on February 22.However, a week ago, the police eventually filed a B-report in the case. “How can there be no evidencewhen the SDMC can testify to the insults and threats?” she asked Police Commissioner Manish Kharbikarwho chaired the meet. Though Mr. Kharbikar said there “could be no wrongdoing” on the part of the policein closing the case, he assured the headmistress that the case would be looked into again. Anotherallegation of the police bucking to bribes and pressures from influential persons came from Dalit leaderSrinivas Shetty, who said the Bajpe police had done little to arrest the main accused in a reportedly illegalsand-mining case. The accused, who is the president of the Gram Panchayat Chandrahas Shetty, isalleged to have abused fellow member Hariyappa Muthoor, who is Dalit, for having opposed the sandmining. “Chandrahas Shetty used foul language and even threatened to kill Hariyappa. We filed acomplaint with the police on May 18, and an atrocities case was filed. But there have been no arrests. Infact, we hear that the police are in constant touch with the accused,” said Mr. Srinivas Shetty. Mr.Kharbikar assured a “detailed probe” into the matter. (The Hindu 27/5/13)Two held on charge of sodomising Dalit in Karnal (2)Karnal: In a statement issued by the superintendent of police office on Tuesday evening, a man allegedthat Lakhwinder Singh (41) and Vijay had sexually assaulted his 15-year-old son. The crime allegedlyoccurred in the city police station area at a house. The accused were arrested under the Prevention ofChildren from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention ofAtrocity) Act. Meanwhile, the court sent the accused to jail. (Hindustan Times 28/5/13)Dalit body alleges discrimination (2)AHMEDABAD: A dalit activists' group, Navsarjan Trust, has highlighted several instances ofdiscrimination against dalits in villages surrounding Ahmedabad, especially at water sources - like wells,hand pumps and even common village water sumps and ponds. Talukas like the upcoming Detroit ofIndia, Sanand; Dholka; Bavla Dhandhuka; and Viramgam have registered several cases of suchdiscrimination. The trust represented its case before Ahmedabad collector Roopwant Singh on Saturday.There are instances in villages of separate underground water sumps being constructed for dalitsettlements which are yet to receive Narmada waters while an OBC community settlement has directconnection to Narmada. "There were community wells from which dalits were not allowed to draw waterand in some cases water drawn from borewells was not shared with dalit communities," says Kirit Rathodof Navsarjan trust. "In other instances, dalit women were prevented from washing clothes in commonponds." In one village in Dholka every community has a different well," Rathod says. "The collector hasassured us that a committee will look into the cases of discrimination in these villages immediately," saysRathod. The problems have been cited in villages like Dholi, Arjan, Jawaraj, Burkhi, Utelia, Sagarwada,Koth, Pissawada, Dehgamda, Bagodara, and Bhamsara in Bavla taluka. In Dhandhuka taluka, the trusthas cited cases of discrimination in Kasindra, Kangasar, Fatehpur, Chaasiana and Bajarda. In Sanandtaluka, dalits in Lodarial , Leelapur, and Sari Matoda villages have aired their grievances regarding theiraccess to water sources. In all, close to 1,200 dalits in 22 villages in the Ahmedabad district have beensaid to be the victims of discrimination. (Times of India 2/6/13)Man held for burning dalit youth to death (2)AHMEDABAD: A man was arrested for allegedly murdering a dalit youth by setting him on fire in Gujarat'sSurendranagar district, police said today. Jaydeepsinh Parmar was held on Friday based on the dying