04.11.2023..UNTOUCHABLES OF INDIA TODAY.By.IDTNS.Sivaji.GS.Dr Ambedkar Ambulance Association.Chennai.600026.
From Karnataka to Rajasthan, Dalit lives remain in danger
Despite achieving historical milestone globally, the Dalit community faces violence throughout the country, Sabrang India reports
In September 2023, Beena Johnson became the first Dalit woman to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 18. Johnson is the general secretary of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). Speaking during the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, Johnson outlined the need for non-discrimination as well as a multipronged approach to tackle these issues on a global level. However, despite the fact that there is global attention on the problem of caste, and violence against Dalits, the issue continues to persist in India at a large level. Sabrang India rounds up recent instances of violence against Dalits below, revealing how widely spread and pervasive this phenomenon is.
Kolar, Karnataka
On October 17, in Doddavalagamaadi, Bangarpet taluk, Kolar district, a 29-year-old Dalit construction worker was brutally beaten after being verbally abused by his employers because he had demanded his rightful wages. The victim is now recuperating at the hospital, according to Deccan Herald. The Bangarpet police have acted on the case and have invoked the Atrocities Act. Three of the accused are siblings from the Rajput community – Jagadish Singh, Ravi Singh, and Satish Singh have been named. Two of them, Jagadish Singh and Satish Singh have already been taken into custody, and attempts are being made to locate and look for and detain the third sibling, Ravi Singh. Kolar Deputy Superintendent of Police Mallesh has been assigned to lead the investigation.
According to the report by Deccan Herald, the victim had been hired by Jagadish Singh and his brothers for the construction of their new residence and they had agreed for his wages to amount to Rs 3,500, but when the time came, they had only paid him Rs 2,000. Following this the day of the incident he met the accused at a local roadside tea shop and asked payment of his outstanding dues. However, the response he received was in the form of a barrage of caste-based insults, humiliation and physical violence.
Amreli, Gujarat
A harrowing incident has come to light from a government school in Gujarat’s Amreli district. A Dalit school teacher lost his life to suicide after repeated instances of casteist abuse. The incident took place last Friday, on October 20th.
His name was Kanti Chauhan and he was reportedly a dedicated teacher at Juna Janjariya village in Bagasara. He recorded a video with his final words before attempting to kill himself. In the video, he revealed that the village’s Sarpanch had repeatedly threatened him, pressuring him to surrender the grants he had received and had even circulated defamatory messages against him and his caste across various social media groups.
Local authorities have responded with the police filing a case against five individuals. The case includes the village Sarpanch and three school teachers, and following complaint, the Sarpanch was taken in custody. The case has been registered under Section 306 which pertains to abetment of iii suicide as well as with various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to J. P. Bhandari, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Amreli.
Kuchaman, Rajasthan
Three arrests took place for the gang rape of a Dalit woman, according to The New Indian Express. The incident happened in August, however a formal case was registered only last week. The incident with the 32-year-old woman took place in the Kuchaman district of Rajasthan.
A case has been filed for gang rape and with certain sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While the police have taken the 3 men, whose names are Kishore Mali, Ramdev Thalod, and Tejpal into custody, they are also reportedly actively searching for the two remaining suspects who are still at large.
Bengaluru, Karnataka
In a horrifying incident, the father of a teenaged minor was arrested for having murdered her. The 50 year old man had reportedly murdered his daughter because she had been involved in a relationship with a Dalit boy. The accused, who is a farmer, surrendered to the Bengaluru police October 22, 2023, according to the Indian Express. He had also reportedly coerced his daughter to leaving college and sending her to a relative’s house to prevent her from meeting the boy. However, the girl reportedly went missing by October 14, following which her parents arrived from Mysore to Bengaluru to search for her and then filed a report on October 18. The girl was soon discovered in a few days, and the Dalit youth was arrested with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) filed against. However, the ordeal did not end there, the father soon attacked her and later she succumbed to her injuries. Her mother was also injured in the process of defending her. The accused is now in judicial custody.
News no 2.
Denied financial assistance under welfare scheme, Dalit youth kills self in Telangana
On Friday, leaders from various Dalit organisations, along with the family members, staged a protest outside the mortuary where Ramakanth’s body was kept.
Published: 04th November 2023 08:42 AM | Last Updated: 04th November 2023 12:21 PM | A+A A-
Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo | PTI)
ADILABAD: A 26-year-old Dalit youth identified as Ramakanth took his own life by consuming pesticide near a check post on the outskirts of Boraj village on Thursday. He collapsed, lost consciousness and died by the time a 108 ambulance arrived. In a suicide note purportedly written by him, Ramakanth said that he had decided to end his life over not receiving any welfare schemes, particularly Dalit Bandhu.
His family and relatives shifted his body in an auto to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for a postmortem on Thursday night.
On Friday, leaders from various Dalit organisations, along with the family members, staged a protest outside the mortuary where Ramakanth’s body was kept. G Mahender, the district president of BSP, demanded that the government provide `30 lakh as compensation and a double-bedroom house to the kin of the victim.
After learning of the situation, Superintendent of Police (SP) D Uday Kumar Reddy and other staff members visited the mortuary. District Collector Rahul Raj, over the phone, assured to provide all eligible benefits to Ramakanth’s family and ordered an inquiry. This assurance was made in response to the demands put forth during the protest.
Kandi Srinivas Reddy, the Adilabad Assembly constituency candidate from the Congress, extended his support to the grieving family. He urged the government to deliver justice to the family and said that a Congress-led government would strive to fulfill the public’s aspirations.
(Suicide helplines -- Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090, Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060, Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726, Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102)
News no 3.
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India offers USD 15 mn grant to strengthen Buddhist ties with Sri Lanka
Posted on November 3rd, 2023
Courtesy Adaderana
In a significant event held in Colombo, the exchange of bilateral documents took centre stage, marking the initiation of projects supported by a generous USD 15 million grant from the Government of India.
This grant is specifically allocated to bolster the longstanding Buddhist connections between India and Sri Lanka, underscoring the deep historical and cultural ties that bind these two nations together, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.
The signing of the bilateral agreements took place at the President’s House in Colombo yesterday (02). President Wickremesinghe and Hon Finance Minister of India Ms Nirmala Sitaraman engaged in lengthy bilateral discussions during this event.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of this substantial grant underscores the significance of strengthening Buddhist linkages between the two countries. The grant could be allocated towards various initiatives, including the construction and renovation of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural exchange, archaeological cooperation, reciprocal exhibition of relics and other areas of mutual interest.
In recognition of the evolving economic landscape in Sri Lanka, both countries have agreed to recalibrate the grant amount from Sri Lankan Rupees to Indian Rupees, aligning it with the prevailing market conditions. This adjustment is being formalized through diplomatic Letters of Exchange and Acceptance, signifying a shared commitment to further enhancing these ties.
High Commissioner of India, Gopal Baglay and Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Somaratne Vidanapathirana, played pivotal roles in exchanging these documents, and this momentous occasion was witnessed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Hon Finance Minister of India Ms Nirmala Sitaraman.
The first project to be initiated under the USD 15 million grant is the solar electrification of religious sites across Sri Lanka, with an allocation of USD 10 million. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for this significant project was jointly finalized by the governments of India and Sri Lanka.
This historic moment was captured with a photograph featuring all distinguished participants, celebrating a significant milestone in the bilateral relations of India and Sri Lanka.
This event was graced by the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka, Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure development Jeewan Thondaman, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka HE Gopal Bhaglay, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, Secretary to the President Mr Saman Ekanayake, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Senior Economic Advisor to the President, Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance Mr. K. M. Mahinda Siriwardana, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Mr. Somaratne Vidanapathirana, Members of the Indian High Commission, members of the visiting Indian delegation, Foreign Ministry officials and High level Government officials.
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