Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Kamal Singhi, a journalist based in Indore, about continuing social and economic ostracism of Dalits in Sitapat village of Mhow Tehsil in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The ostracism that began some 17 days ago has culminated into the locally powerful landlords cutting off the water supply to the Dalit habitat. They have also enforced an illegal blanket ban on any non-Dalit citizens selling anything, including rations, to Dalits punishable by Rupees 5,000 fine if violated. The authorities are only attempting to broker a truce despite practice of untouchability being a criminal offence and constitutionally barred. The AHRC demands the authorities to break the illegal conduct and punish those responsible.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The AHRC has learnt that the members of non-Dalits, or so-called upper castes, in Sitapat village of Mhow Tehsil (in Indore Madhya Pradesh) have enforced a social and economic ostracism of Dalits in the village. The village has a total population of around 1,000 with Dalits constituting one-fifth of it. The ostracism is near universal with Dalits being banned from flour mills and ration and grocery stores who refuse to sell them anything. The sarpanch (village chief) has further ensured that the water supply to their part of the village is cut off on the pretext of technical fault. The excuse does not hold under scrutiny as the technical fault came only after a member of Dalit community, who was responsible for turning on the water supply to the village, was removed from the job and someone from the upper castes was put in.
The Dalits are also not being allowed to fetch water from public taps. The situation is worsening by the day as the blanket ban has exposed them to physical and psychological hardships, including pushing them into hunger.
Even if someone from the non-Dalit community wants to defy the ban and interact with the Dalits, s/he cannot because of the Rupees 5,000 fine imposed to curtail such acts. This has forced 32 Dalit households to get their rations from far away villages like Kamadpur, Fanfud, and Kuti.
The trouble had started a fortnight ago when some women members of the Dalit families tried offering water to temples of Lord Shiva as part of Kanwar Yatra. Kanwar Yatra is a religious practice in which people get water from rivers or other water bodies considered to be holy and offer it to the Shiva temples. The Dalit women’s desire to practice their right to religious freedom, however, incensed the upper caste landlords who then decided to retaliate. The ostracism that started with the first confrontation over temple entry in the first week of August has already entered its third week. Similarly, it has been 17 days to the water supplies having been cut off.
Unfortunately, the authorities seem to have shown little interest in discharging their constitutional duty of disallowing the practice of untouchability and prosecuting anyone indulging in the same. On the contrary, they have been trying to dispose of the matter by engineer a truce between the communities.The Deputy Superintendent of Police in Ashutosh Mishra, for example, confessed to the local media of being aware of the issue two days ago (on August17) and yet failed to stop the boycott and resume the water supply.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities mentioned below demanding immediate intervention into the case and ensure that the social and economic ostracism of the Dalits is broken immediately and water supply to them is resumed without delay.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ..........,
INDIA: Social Boycott of Dalits in Madhya Pradesh, water supply cut off
Names of the victims: Approximately 200 Dalits
Alleged perpetrators: Village chief and other members of non-Dalit communities in Sitapat village, Mhow Tehsil, Madhya Pradesh
Time and Place of incident: Ongoing, Sitapat village, Mhow Tehsil, Madhya Pradesh
I am writing to you with grave concern over the illegal social and economic boycott of the dalit community in Sitapat village. The village has a total population of around 1,000 with Dalits constituting about 200.
The ostracism is near universal with Dalits being banned from flour mills and ration and grocery stores who refuse to sell them anything. The sarpanch (village chief) has further ensured that the water supply to their part of the village is cut off on the pretext of technical fault. The excuse does not hold under scrutiny as the technical fault came only after a member of Dalit community, who was responsible for turning on the water supply to the village, was removed from the job and someone from the upper castes was put in.
The Dalits are also not being allowed to fetch water from public taps. The situation is worsening by the day as the blanket ban has exposed them to physical and psychological hardships, including pushing them into hunger.
Even if someone from the non-Dalit community wants to defy the ban and interact with the Dalits, s/he cannot because of the Rupees 5,000 fine imposed to curtail such acts. This has forced 32 Dalit households to get their rations from far away villages like Kamadpur, Fanfud, and Kuti.
The trouble had started a fortnight ago when some women members of the Dalit families tried offering water to temples of Lord Shiva as part of Kanwar Yatra. Kanwar Yatra is a religious practice in which people get water from rivers or other water bodies considered to be holy and offer it to the Shiva temples. The Dalit women's desire to practice their right to religious freedom, however, incensed the upper caste landlords who then decided to retaliate. The ostracism that started with the first confrontation over temple entry in the first week of August has already entered its third week. Similarly, it has been 17 days to the water supplies having been cut off.
Unfortunately, the authorities seem to have shown little interest in discharging their constitutional duty of disallowing the practice of untouchability and prosecuting anyone indulging in the same. On the contrary, they have been trying to dispose of the matter by engineer a truce between the communities.The Deputy Superintendent of Police in Ashutosh Mishra, for example, confessed to the local media of being aware of the issue two days ago (on August17) and yet failed to stop the boycott and resume the water supply.
I, therefore, urge you to ensure that,
1. The social and economic ostracism of the Dalits is broken immediately;
2. Water supply to them is resumed without delay;
3. Those responsible for practicing untouchability, a practice abolished by the constitution, are prosecuted accordingly;
4. Criminal culpability of authorities responsible for letting the ostracism run for this long is determined and those responsible are prosecuted;
Sincerely,
...................................
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minster
Government of India
Room No. 148 B, South block,
New Delhi
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 230116857; 23015603
2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 2338 4863
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Thaawar Chand Gehlot,
Minister,
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Government of India
Shastri Bhawan,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi
Ph: +91 11- 23381001 and
Fax: +91 11-23014432
E-mail: min-sje@sb.nic.in
4. Chairperson,
National Commission for Scheduled Castes,
Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market,
New Delhi – 110003
INDIA
FAX: 91-11-24632298
Email: chairman-ncsc@nic.in
5. Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Chief Minister
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 755 2441781; 2540501
Email : cm@mp.nic.in
6. Shri Anthony JC DeSa
Chief Secretary,
Government of Madhya Pradesh,
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh,
India.
Fax: +91 755 2441751; 2441521
Email: cs@mp.nic.in
7. Mr. Shri Akash Tripathi (IAS)
District Collector - Indore
Administrative Complex,
First Floor, Room No 011, 'Indore, 452004
Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 731- 2449114
Email : dmindore@mp.gov.in
Thank you
Hunger Alerts Programme
Right to Food Programme (foodjustice@ahrc.asia)
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
