DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

DHARMAPURI: Over 400 Dalits, including school-going children and women, from Natham, Anna Nagarand Kondampatti colonies of the Naikkankottai village in Dharmapuri district observed fast on Thursday inmemory of the violence that was unleashed on the colonies last year. Describing November 7 as “BlackDay,” they recalled the incidents of attack and arson by caste Hindus following an inter-caste marriage ofDalit youth Illavarasan and Vanniyar girl Divya. Immediate withdrawal of prohibhitory orders was amongthe main demands of the people. The agitators reiterated their demand for handing over the cases ofviolence and Ilavarasan’s death to Central Bureau of Investigation and constitution of a special court to trythe cases at Naickenkottai. The other demands of the Dalits included expeditious implementation ofrehabilitation measures, provision of bank loans to every household and two acres of land to everyaffected Dalit family, establishment of industrial units to provide jobs to Dalit youth, stringent actionagainst ‘kangaroo courts,’ enactment of a special law to prevent honour killing and protection to intercastemarried couples. District Collector K. Vivekanandan on Monday rejected their request forpermission for the fast and assured them of speedy rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the district police arrestedten activists of Makkal Jananayaka Kazhagam. The activists were produced before Judicial MagistrateCourt I in Dharmapuri and Pennagaram and Palacode Judicial Magistrate Courts. They were remanded injudicial custody for fifteen days and sent to the Salem central prison. The activists were arrested forallegedly putting up posters, accusing the government of ignoring the Dalits. Cases have been registeredagainst them under various sections. Prohibitory orders under section 144 (1) have been promulgated inthe Harur Revenue Division for nine days from Thursday. (The Hindu 8/11/13)Dalit woman raped in Bhopal (2)BHOPAL: Search for her missing husband landed a young woman in net of a rapist on the streets of thestate capital. Failing to hear from her husband working here for three long months, the 26-year-oldwoman travelled with her new-born all the way from Rajgarh in his search. New to Bhopal, the dalitwoman managed to find the shop were her husband worked. Promising to take her to her husband, theshop-owner instead took her to a house where he threatened to kill her daughter if she resisted and rapedher. The incident took place on November 7. A case was registered in Jehangirabad police station onFriday. Around three months back, the woman's relative had called her husband to work in a meat shop inBarkhedi area here. Since the woman could not contact her husband ever since he reached Bhopal, shecame to the city and started search of him. When she found the meat shop where her husband worked,its owner Nafees Qureshi asked her to wait and told that her husband would come in some time. Later,the shop-owner took her to a house on a bike and committed the crime. When she objected, he hit herdaughter, beat the woman and threatened to kill her daughter. The accused fled the spot after theincident while the woman managed to approach the police and got a case registered. The woman saysshe has no clue of the location where she was taken. Besides, rape case, the woman also lodged amissing person report about her husband. The accused has been arrested. (Times of India 10/11/13)Dalits burn own huts in disputed land, 8 heldDharmapuri: Eight persons, including a member of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, were arrested by thepolice in the caste violence-marred Dharmapuri district on Saturday on charges of burning their own hutsand trying to incite hatred. According to police, in 1984, the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department (ADWD)acquired two acres of land from Velusamy in Athooranalli village, and distributed the land to 45 Dalits.However, Velusamy filed a civil suit in the Madras High Court and the verdict was against the ADWDaction. In 2002, Madras High Court ordered that the ADWD return the land to Velusamy. Subsequently,the ADWD cancelled the house pattas given to the Dalits. However, one month ago, a few Dalitsconstructed huts on the land. On November 8, the Dalits lodged a case that some persons had burntdown their huts. On inquiry, it was found that the Dalits burnt down their own huts. Police arrestedMurugan (37), Nagaraj (30), Govindaraj (35), Mathumani (36), Perumal, Palani, Muthusamy (52) andPalacode secretary of VCK Rajagopal. (New Indian Express 10/11/13)