DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

Anandraj Ambedkar. Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh issued a public order under Section 39 of theBombay Police Act, following which the Azad Maidan police slapped notices against Mr Athawale, theAmbedkars and other trustees, restricting their entry to Siddharth College and the Buddha Bhavanpremises. Since it is a public order, around 50 copies of the same have been pasted in and around thecollege and Buddha Bhavan. A commissioner of police generally issues such orders after anticipatingproblems of law and order at a particular place or region over a dispute. “If Dalit leaders, trustees involvedin the dispute or any of their supporters or party workers tries to enter the college premises they will beimmediately detained by the police and will be charged accordingly,” said an IPS officer. The order is notfor any specific period. It will last till any court’s order comes. The order will be renewed if the need arises,the officer added. (Asian Age 8/7/13)Amid caste tension, some recall man who led dalits into temples (2)CHENNAI: July 8 commemorates a crucial event that paved the way for the assertion of the rights ofdalits across the country. On this day in 1939, freedom fighter A VaidyanathaIyer led a group of dalits tothe Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai. V K Sthanunathan, 91, the son-in-law of the late freedomfighter, spoke to TOI about the historic day. "Morning of July 8, 1939, the news spread that VaidyanathaIyer had entered the temple with a group of dalits. While there were jubilations all across MadrasPresidency, a section of orthodox brahmins created a furore and said the deity of the shrine had left thetemple as it was polluted by untouchables," said Sthanunathan. "They filed a criminal suit against him butRajaji, the then chief minister of Madras Presidency, issued an ordinance legalizing the entry of dalits intemples across the presidency with retrospective effect. In the same year, a bill for temple entry waspassed in the legislative assembly and it became law," he said. Recalling the leader's conviction in hisideals, Sthanunathan said, "When he addressed a public gathering in Madurai during the Quit IndiaMovement, he was jailed by the British government under the charges of rioting. After his release in 1946,the government wanted to cancel his licence for practising law at the Madras high court. He wassummoned before Sir Lionel Leach, the chief justice of Madras HC, and was asked to give anunconditional apology to the government. But he calmly denied saying that he had not done anything toincite rioting. The sincerity of his answer impressed the judge so much that he decided to drop thecharges." "His house was regularly visited by Congress leaders and party workers across India and it wasa common sight to see him having lunch with 20 other people. He financed the education of many dalitstudents," he said. Though Vaidyanatha Iyer was reluctant to hold a ministerial post, he was persuadedby Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel to contest elections and was elected as an MLA from Madurai-Melur constituency. "His speeches had the assembly spellbound and on occasions, he spoke on aspecific bill for more than an hour. His commitment towards the welfare of dalits has few parallels," saidSthanunathan. (Times of India 9/7/13)Knot scared: Rajasthan dalit groom defies threats, rides horse (2)AJMER: A dalit groom rode a horse for his marriage procession defying threats from upper caste villagersfor the first time under tight police security at Neemada village in Rajasthan's Ajmer district on Fridaynight. Dalits are not allowed to ride a horse especially for marriage processions. Ranjeet Singh Berwa'sfamily had sought police help after the villagers had threatened him against riding a horse for his marriageprocession. But the cops had told them to follow the village tradition forcing the family to file anapplication before the Center for Dalit Rights (CDR), which informed the district collector Vabhav Gallariaabout it. "We investigated and found that dalits were banned from moving on horses and no one hadcourage to break this law," said CDR's Ramesh Chand Bansal. The district administration took thecomplaint seriously and Gallaria instructed police to ensure the marriage procession's security. Subdivision officer Om Parkash Sharma, Tahsildar Ram Chand Meena and police in-charge Sugan Singhoversaw the security deployed. Even under tight security, many were not sure whether to break thecustom. "No one, even me, my father and my five sons ever had the courage to go through the roads in