DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

other-in-law of the SP chief. Sources said the police were trying to pressure him into not pursuing thecomplaint, which can land the accused in trouble as he is a dalit. The police complaint would have to belodged under the stringent Prevention of Atrocities against Schedule Castes & Schedule Tribe (SC/ST)Act, which make it a non-bailable offence. Dr Singh, who is posted at Udi Community Health Centre(CHC), lives as tenant in the house of former BSP MP from Etawah, Ram Singh Shakya. This house wasallegedly attacked by SP activists in March 2012, soon after the SP had swept the polls. According to DrSingh, when he reached home on Monday evening, he found a car blocking the gate of his house. Heparked his car on the road. As he entered his house, he heard someone yelling for him. "I'd just walked inwhen Ajant Singh abused me for parking my car outside his house. Then his cronies attacked me. I waspunched, slapped and kicked. I pleaded I won't park my car outside their house again, but no onelistened. They smashed the car windscreen," he said. Dr Pawan suffered bruises and cuts all over hisbody. "I submitted a written complaint with the civil lines police station but am not sure if any action hasbeen taken," Dr Singh said on Tuesday evening. (Times of India 16/10/13)‘Restore rights of Dalits to worship at temples’ (2)Madurai: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should take steps torestore the rights of Dalits to offer worship in temples in the western parts of the State, said S. Karuppiah,State joint-general secretary, Dalit Liberation Movement. He said here on Wednesday that amemorandum was presented to the Commission chairman in New Delhi recently in this regard. Thememorandum said the Dalits had the right to offer worship at temples in the Kangeyam taluk of Tirupurdistrict from time immemorial. The Vellakoil Veerakumar Temple, Uthama Mariamman Temple,Mangalapatti Umaya Kaliamman Temple and Pudupai Muthusamy Temple were frequently visited byDalits. Of late, they were being prevented from offering worship in these temples. The NationalCommission should make a visit to the temples to ascertain the facts. It further stated that though theState government had issued an order that Dalit students studying in self-finance institutions should gettheir fees reimbursed, it was not implemented. The National Commission should take steps for therelease special funds due to the State government from the Centre. The funds had not been released formore than a decade, thus affecting disbursal to beneficiaries, Mr. Karuppiah said. The Corporation andMunicipalities in the State had been engaging private parties to remove garbage. This move had affectedemployment opportunities for the conservancy workers who worked on a daily wage basis. Further, themove had deprived them of the chance of getting their jobs regularised. Privatisation of garbage disposalwould not only lead to job loss for the conservancy workers, but affect their livelihood, and the studies oftheir children, he said. Non-registration of cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes(Prevention of Atrocities) Act against offenders had been encouraging them. Such official apathy shouldnot be permitted by the National Commission, Mr. Karuppiah added. (The Hindu 17/10/13)It’s a sin to be dalit in Haryana: Union minister Kumari Selja (2)AMBALA: Dissidence in Haryana Congress came to the fore again on Thursday after Union ministerKumari Selja slammed the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government over the death of a dalit youth inpolice custody. "Is it a sin to be a dalit in Haryana? If dalits are not safe and the government does nothingto protect them, it is clear that it's a sin to be a dalit in the state," Selja said after visiting the familymembers of a youth who was mysteriously run over by a train while in police custody. "In recent yearsseveral incidents of atrocities on dalits were reported in Haryana. But the Hooda government made noserious efforts to protect them," said the four-time MP and seniormost leader from the state in the Centralgovernment. The minister visited the house of a dalit youth - Ram Kumar - in Majri in Ambala city. Theyouth was found dead on the railway tracks on October 15, a day after he was picked up by police alongwith another youth. Ram Kumar's friend, Vikram, was also allegedly tortured by police but managed toescape from custody. The handcuffed youth hid in the fields and later claimed he saw cops pushing hisfriend in front of a train. He is yet to record his statement before a magistrate. Selja said police included