INDIA: Caste-based discrimination; Case of assault, degrading treatment against Dalits
——————————————————————–
According to reliable sources, a Dalit woman in Kishanganj in the India state of Bihar was tormented and paraded half-naked by a group of people who wanted to teach a lesson to her family for not giving away their claim over a piece of land.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT
Bharati Devi, a wife of Amarnath Das and a resident of Dharmgji in Kishanganj District, was assaulted and paraded half-naked on Nov. 3, 2002, by people annoyed with the couple over their long-standing dispute over a piece of land.
The Dalit woman has lodged a first information report (FIR) with the Kishanganj police station against those who have beaten and publicly paraded her half-naked in the community.
In her statement to the police, she complained that a group of about eight people, including several women, forcibly broke into her room and assaulted her. Afterwards, they grabbed her neck and dragged her outside, parading her half-naked in public.
However, according to the information we have received, the district police have not taken any action to arrest the perpetrators. Even worse, P. S. K. Sinahal, the superintendent of police in Kishanganj District, denied that the woman was paraded half-naked by a group of people. He said, “Her story is not at all true. It is bullshit and concocted.” He admitted though that the Dalit couple was physically tortured and tormented.
The police have attributed Devi’s assault to a long-standing and extremely complicated land dispute between two groups which are involved in a string of cases and countercases.
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has continuously issued urgent appeals and other actions about caste-based discrimination and degrading treatment against Dalits in order to draw your attention to the problems that Dalits must endure and to create international pressure on the government of India. We urge you to maintain your support for our campaign to eliminate the world’s worst form of discrimination.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Please send your appeal to the president, prime minister and chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India, urging them to take immediate action to investigate the case and to bring the perpetrators to court according to the law against caste-based discrimination.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
Re: A case of Caste-based discrimination – A Dalit woman was tormented and paraded half-naked in public
I am writing this letter to draw your attention to the case of physical assault and degrading treatment against a Dalit woman and to urge you to undertake an immediate investigation into the case.
Bharati Devi, a resident of Dharmgji in Kishanganj District in the India state of Bihar, was assaulted and paraded half-naked on Nov. 3, 2002, by a group of people who wanted to teach a lesson to her family for not giving away their claim over a piece of land.
According to the first information report (FIR) that she has lodged with the Kishanganj police station, a group of about eight people, including several women, forcibly broke into her room and assaulted her. Afterwards, they grabbed her neck and dragged her outside, parading her half-naked in public.
However, even though the superintendent of police (SP) in Kishanganj District admitted that the Dalit couple was physically tortured and tormented, the police are not only unwilling to arrest the perpetrators, but they have denied that the woman was paraded half-naked by a group of people in public.
Therefore, I urge you to undertake an immediate and impartial investigation into the case and to bring the perpetrators to court according to the law against caste-based discrimination.
I look forward to learning about your prompt action on this matter.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
———
PLEASE SEND YOUR APPEAL BY FAX OR EMAIL TO;
1. The President of India
Dr. P.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Office of the President, Rashtrapati Bhawan,
New Delhi, 110004
INDIA
Fax: +9111 3017290, 3014570
Email: presssecy@alpha.nic.in or Pressecy@Sansad.nic.in
2. The Prime Minister of India,
H.E. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi 110 011
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 3016996 (Joint Secretary of PM), 3018939 (Personal Secretary of PM)
Fax: +91 11 3016857/3019545 (Office), +91 11 3019334 (Residence)
E-mail:vajpayee@sansad.nic.in or http://pmindia.nic.in/writetous.htm
3. Justice J.S.Verma
Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhavan, Sansad Marg,
New Delhi – 110001
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 3340016/3366537
Eamil: nhrc@ren.nic.in
Also send copy of your letter to;
1. Justice Dilip Singh Bhuria,
Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe
5th Block, Lok Nayak,
Bhavan, Khan Market,
New Delhi 110003
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 4625378
