INDIA: Caste-based discrimination; Destruction of property but impunity
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On 22 November, we issued an appeal about a Dalit woman who was paraded half-naked to humiliate her into giving up on a land claim (see at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/377/). We have received evidence of yet another atrocity on Dalits in India over a separate land dispute ¡© this time it was a raid on a whole Dalit village in Karnataka by the dominant caste community.
The aim of both these attacks is to use existing caste discrimination to prevent Dalits from achieving the access to land essential to their empowerment. We urge you to act on behalf of impoverished Dalits who are punished for trying to break free of the shackles of caste bondage. Details of this case are provided below, thanks to the efforts of the leaders and activists of Rural Education for Development Society (REDS) in Tumkur.
DETAILS OF THE CASE
The following incident occurred in Ujjani village of Huliyurdurga hobli in Kunigal taluk, Tumkur District, Karnataka, India. On November 6, 2002, 94 Dalit homes have been damaged, irrigation destroyed, cattle stolen and the few goods of this impoverished community looted in an attack by a dominant caste group. The local police sub-inspector Mr. Mallash, who is himself from the dominant caste group (Vokkaliga) has been implicated as supporting and guiding the attack for the purpose of preventing the Dalits from attaining their legal land rights.
Moreover, when one of the Dalits, Mr. Sreenivas, went to Mr. Mallesh to complain of being attacked by the dominant caste group, instead of registering the case or making further inquiries Mr. Mallesh beat up Mr. Sreenivas and retained him in the station until evening. After his release some leaders of the Dalit community went to complain to Mr. Mallesh, and finding him abusive and casteist, resolved to take the matter to his superior.
Suddenly after this a Vokkaliga Forum came into existence with a pamphlet announcing a protest march on November 6 against the Dalits in Kunigal. The Dalit leaders are sure that the PSI Mallesh was behind the march and the following incidents.
On the day of the procession about 300 people assembled in Kunigal, conducted a protest march shouting slogans against the Dalit community and made public speeches which were highly inflammatory in nature. They warned that Ujjani would be turned into another Kampalapalli (another village in Karnataka where 7 Dalits were burnt alive by the same Vokkaliga community on 11 March 2000).
In the evening of the same day, before the Dalit men could return home from their work a group from the dominant caste entered the Dalit area and began to attack the people as well as damage their houses. First they broke all the lights and disconnected power. There was no resistance to their vandalism as most men were not present on the scene. The two policemen who were posted there for protection had left duty exactly at the time of the attack, which indicates again that PSI Mallesh may have been involved in planning the attack on the Dalits. Women and children were attacked.
After complaints from Rural Education for Development Society (REDS), the Superintendent of Police and Inspector General visited the area on the following two days. They talked to the Dalit people, assessed the damages and ordered for compensation. They also placed two policemen under suspension. Kunne Gowda (who made one of the inflammatory speeches) and three others were arrested but were released on bail. Since release they have frequently returned to the Dalit villages and threatened the Dalits with further violence. REDS informed the IG that the violence relates directly to the practice of Untouchability that still continues today in the area despite the practice being banned in India 54 years hence.
PSI Mallesh has filed questionable cases against two of the local Dalit leaders named ‘Dalit’ and Sreenivas, but no action has been taken against Mr. Mallesh himself by the authorities. Despite pleas by police, the Dalit community went ahead with a mass protest fast on 12 November in all parts of Tumkur district and peacefully delivered the following Memorandum to the authorities.
THE MEMORANDUM
1. Atrocities on the Dalit people are on the increase in Tumkur District in the last two years. We highlight the incidents of Goolaruve (Tumkur taluk), Brahmmasandra and Gamkaranahalli of Madhugiri taluk, Chennanukunte of Sira taluk, Uddehosakere of Gubbi taluk, Agrahara of Koratagere taluk and Chikkanayakanahalli of Pavagada taluk are only some examples. THE GOVERNMENT MUST ORDER AN ENQUIRY AS TO WHY THE OFFICIAL MACHINERY OF THE DISTRICT HAS FAILED TO CHECK ATROCITIES ON DALIT PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
2. The brain and inspiration behind the present atrocity on the Dalit people in Ujjani is PSI Mallesh and his unholy caste alliance with the local MLA. This is the predominant representation of the Dalit people to the SP when he visited the village. PSI MALLESH MUST BE IMMEDIATELY PLACED UNDER SUSPENSION IF NOT DISMISSED FROM SERVICE. SUCH OFFICERS WILL BE ALWAYS A BLOT IN THE GOOD NAME OF THE GOVERNMENT.
3. Innocent people who have nothing to do with even the land dispute have been made victims of the hooliganism of the vokkaliga forum. KUNNE GOWDA, PUTTURAMU TEACHER, RAMALINGAIAH, RAMESH, KUNTHUR THAMMANNA GOWDA AND RAMAKRISHNA, WHO MADE INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES ON 06-11-02 MUST BE IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED AND PUT BEHIND BARS WITHOUT ANY DELAY.
4. The Dalit people who are already poor have suffered further damages to their properties. This brings on them additional burden of restoring their homes apart from restoring their dignity as human beings. IMMEDIATE AND ENHANCED COMPENSATION MUST BE PAID TO ALL VICTIMS OF THIS VANDALISM.
5. The vokkaliga forum has plans for further action against the Dalits with the support of the local MLA. THE ROLE OF LOCAL POLITICANS IN UJJANI ATTACK MUST BE INVESTIGATED AND THE FORUM MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO AHEAD WITH ANY FURTHER PLANS SO AS TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND HARMONY IN THE VILLAGE.
6. Quite unnecessarily Mallesh has booked two non-bailable cases against Dalit and Sreenivas. This is a highly provocative act of Mallesh in collusion with the local MLA. We are surprised that while two policemen have been placed under suspension no action has yet been taken against Mallesh who is the primary cause for the attack on the Dalit people. He must be actually arrested under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and put in jail. Instead of that he has been allowed to register cases against two innocent Dalits. THE CASES AGAINST BOTH SREENIVAS AND DALIT MUST BE IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAWN BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THEY MUST BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR VILLAGES TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR.
APPEAL FOR ACTION FROM REDS
Now it is time that all those who stand for dignity and rights of the people must begin to act. We appeal to all to write letters to the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Karnataka to safeguard the security of the Dalit people not only in Ujjani but all over Karnataka and to take legal action against the PSI and the dominant caste people who attacked the Dalits.
We also request the National Human Rights Commission to ask for a report of Ujjani situation from the Government of Karnataka and take necessary steps to prevent any further atrocity on the Dalit people. The present Chief Minister of Karnataka who described the atrocity on Kampalapalli Dalits as BARBARIC must realize that it is the same caste people and it is his caste people who are doing this again and again. The first act of regret and rectification must start from him.
PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO;
Hon. Sri. S.M. Krishna
Chief Minister of Karnataka
Kumarakrupa Road,
Bangalore – 560 001,
INDIA
Email: cm@kar.nic.in
Fax: +91-80-2281021
Tel: +91-80-225 2572/73/74
Hon. Sri. Mallikarjuna Kharge
Home Minister of Karnataka
INDIA
Fax: +91-80-2251798
Tel: +91-80-2251798
