07.01.25..Untouchablity News.....अछूत समाचार.தீண்டாமை செய்திகள்.by Team சிவாஜி. शिवाजी .Shivaji.asivaji1962@gmail.com.9444917060.
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7 pleas filed against reservation roster of urban local body polls
Dalit men tonsured and garlanded with slippers by mob in Odisha
The Dalit men were chased by locals while they were transporting two goats in an auto-rickshaw.
In yet another incidence of caste-based violence, two men belonging to the Dalit community were subjected to horrific public humiliation after being accused of goat theft in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.
The incident took place on December 27 within the Birdi police station jurisdiction.
The incident unfolded when the Dalit men were chased by locals while they were transporting two goats in an auto-rickshaw. The police who arrived at the spot rescued the men from the agitated mob. They were initially arrested on theft charges, sent to judicial custody, and subsequently released on bail, The Indian Express reported.
The viral video clip documents graphics of the casteist violence with the victims being dragged on a road. They were tonsured and degradingly garlanded with slippers.
Legal action
In a police complaint filed on January 1, the victim’s father said his son, together with his friend were on their way from Simadala village in an autorickshaw when a group of youth stopped them near the Baredia bridge by the side of the panchayat office. The group questioned his son’s name as well as his origin.
“After learning my son’s name, the group hurled caste abuses on him and his friend and accused them of stealing goats,” the father’s complaint read.
He also alleged that the assailants robbed a silver necklace of his son during the assault.
Meanwhile, police registered two first information reports (FIRs) in connection with the incident and booked seven individuals under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 along with sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
However, the case garnered public attention after Odisha Congress leader Amiya Pandav shared the video of the assault on the X-platform on Saturday morning, January 4.
“Lawlessness is the prime feature of BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] ruled Odisha. See how two Dalit youths were treated in Jagatsinghpur! Human dignity is in danger, shame on the double engine Sarkar [a synonym for the BJP state and central governments],” he wrote on X.
Courtesy: Siasat
Dalit and Backward Class organisations seek support for tomorrow’s Mysuru bandh
Mysuru: Several leaders representing different organisations, have sought support for tomorrow’s (Jan. 7) Mysuru bandh called by several Dalit organisations, Backward Class Organisations, SDPI (Socialist Democratic Party of India) and other like-minded organisations and associations, demanding the sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks made in Parliament against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Addressing a press meet at Patrakarthara Bhavan here this morning, Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagruta Vedike President K.S. Shivaram said that support has been sought for tomorrow’s bandh from Auto Owners Association, taxi and other public transport operators, APMC workers, trade unions, labour unions, Muslim organisations etc.
Pointing out that several organisations have extended their full support for the bandh, he said 6-7 teams will be formed for ensuring the success of the bandh.
“One of the teams will be deployed near KSRTC Sub-Urban Bus Stand for halting bus services, while others will be deployed near the City Bus Stand and at certain points on roads leading to and from the city, to ensure that the bandh is a total success,” Shivaram said adding that the organisations are taking all other necessary measures for ensuring the success of the bandh.
Former Mayor Purushotham who also spoke, said that Prime Minister Modi should have sacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah by now, for his remarks against Dr. Ambedkar. But as no action has been taken against Shah, many Dalit and other organisations have called for Mysuru bandh tomorrow.
Pointing out that Dr. Ambedkar is the pride and icon of crores of Dalits and other exploited and downtrodden sections of the society, he said they cannot tolerate any insulting remarks against Dr. Ambedkar, who is called the Father of Indian Constitution.
Urging PM Modi to immediately sack Shah from his Cabinet, he sought the support of all organisations and associations for the success of the bandh. He warned that a Delhi Chalo march will be taken out after the Winter Season, if Shah is not ousted from the Union Cabinet.
Purushotham further said that over 10,000 pamphlets have been distributed across the city to create public awareness on tomorrow’s Mysuru bandh.
Former Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa, former Corporator K.V. Mallesh, SDPI State Vice-President Puttananjaiah, District President Rafat Khan, Madivala community leader Ravinandan, Dalit Mahasabha office-bearer Rajesh, District Uppara Association President Yogesh Uppar and others were present at the press meet.
Hoteliers to extend moral support
City Hotel Owners’ Association has announced its moral support to tomorrow’s Mysuru bandh call given by various organisations.
“Employees and owners of hotels, restaurants, bakery, tea-coffee stalls, chat centres and luxury hotels in city will function wearing black bands to extend moral support to the proposed bandh tomorrow. In addition, the Association members will also take part in the protest to be held at 10 am,” said Association President C. Narayana Gowda and Hon. Secretary A.R. Ravindra in a press release issued by the Association.
“No great men should be insulted. Our Association strongly condemns such incidents. When it comes to the question of protecting the interests of our State, its language and people, our Association will always be at the forefront to protect the same. But many people including those in hospitals and their attendants depend on hotels for food and it is our duty to cater to their needs. Hence, the Association at an emergency meeting held yesterday, has taken a decision to extend moral support to the bandh call tomorrow,” according to the press release issued by the city Hotel Owners’ Association.
Courtesy: Star Of Mysore
Dalit student suicide case: 2 girls, college owner, principal record statements before police
College owner and Loharu Congress MLA Rajvir Fartiya said the police have arrested his brother-in-law, Hanuman Singh, who was transportation in-charge and his son, Rahul Choudhary, on charges of abetment of suicide of the Dalit woman
The police officials have recorded statements of 12 persons, including two classmates of the deceased, the college owner and Loharu Congress MLA Rajvir Fartiya, college principal Sarita and other staff members, besides the accused at Loharu police station on Sunday.
A police official, requesting anonymity, said they had recorded the statement of two girls as they spoke to the deceased over the phone on December 24, a few hours before she ended her life.
“One of them had an interaction with the victim through a video call and the other talked to her via normal call. Both the girls’ said the deceased never talked about harassment from the college over fees,” said an official.
MLA Fartiya alleged that the police are mounting pressure on girls and college staff to speak against him so that he can be implicated in a fake case.
“The people of the constituency know about this matter and the police are stretching this case to please former minister JP Dalal. In the last nine days, I was in Kerala and West Bengal and joined the probe as police contacted me. The truth will prevail,” he added.
The police officials said they have evidence of college authorities taking fees from 55 Dalit students, whose fee was waived by the state government, adding that the college has not maintained a register and neither formed an internal complaint committee, and CCTV cameras are not functioning.
On Sunday, Fartiya appeared before Bhiwani superintendent of police (SP) Nitish Aggarwal, SIT in-charge Dalip Singh and other officials, who grilled him for three hours.
Talking to HT, the Bhiwani SP said they are probing whether the deceased woman had appeared for exams or not and how much fee she had paid to the college, which talks about providing free education to all students.
“ We have seized two mobile phones from Rahul, the phones of the deceased and transport in-charge, which were sent to a laboratory. The investigation will proceed further after retrieving chats and phone call details. We have sought documents from the college related to fees,” he added.
The SP refused to share more details pertaining to the role of the MLA and other people.
The deceased woman’s uncle told HT that the woman’s father had received a phone call from college principal Sarita on November 14 to deposit the fee, otherwise, they wouldn’t allow her to appear for the fifth-semester exam, adding they had recorded the phone call conversation.
“ We want to ask the MLA, how his brother-in-law’s son Rahul came in contact with my niece if he was not active in the college. The police should check the last three months’ CCTV footage of the college to ascertain the MLA’s claims that Rahul has no connection with the college. Rahul was continuously harassing my niece and he was seeking unethical activities. The police should provide justice to us,” he added.
Reacting to Fartiya’s allegations, Dalal said he is not politicising the issue but he wants the deceased Dalit student to get justice.
“ I want to ask Fartiya ji, whether you have any accountability or not in the case as the woman was studying in his college and the police have arrested your brother-in-law and his son on abetment to suicide charge. If you think that backing a poor family is politics, then I am doing politics. If the MLA has no role, why is he scared of investigation,” the former minister said.
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
‘Bring Me Back to Life’ — How a Dalit Youth Was Declared Dead in Government Records in Madhya Pradesh
Naresh discovered this fraud when he applied for benefits under the Sabal Scheme on November 23, 2024, following the delivery of his wife.
Bhopal. A shocking case from Bagalkhedi village in Makhan Nagar tehsil of Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh, has raised serious questions about government processes and corruption.
A Dalit man was declared dead in official documents in 2020, and ?5,000 was withdrawn in his name under the “funeral assistance” scheme. The fraud came to light when the complainant, Naresh Ahirwar, applied for online registration under the Sabal Scheme after his wife’s delivery.
The Mooknayak investigated the matter.
Naresh Ahirwar, a resident of Bagalkhedi, revealed that in 2020, the then Gram Panchayat Secretary, Sanju Ahirwar, and former Sarpanch, Surekha Yadav, declared him dead in official records.
Furthermore, ?5,000 was withdrawn in his name as funeral assistance on July 13, 2020. Naresh discovered this fraud when he applied for benefits under the Sabal Scheme on November 23, 2024, following the delivery of his wife, Bharti Ahirwar.
In response to the fraud, Naresh filed a complaint on December 24, 2024, with the Collector’s office and the Superintendent of Police. News of his complaint was also published in newspapers. However, after filing the complaint, Naresh began to face harassment.
On January 31, 2025, at Nasirabad Crossroad, Naresh was stopped by Madanlal Ahirwar, the father of the former Panchayat Secretary, Sanju Ahirwar. Madanlal verbally abused and threatened Naresh, saying, “Your complaint won’t harm my son in any way. I will deal with you.”
This case is not just about the harassment of an individual but also exposes the corruption and inefficiencies in the rural administrative system. Naresh has submitted several applications to prove that he is alive in government records. However, no decisive action has yet been taken against the culprits.
Naresh filed a complaint on December 24, 2024, with the Collector’s office and the Superintendent of Police.
What Does the Law Say?
If someone misuses government schemes to embezzle funds, it constitutes an offense under Section 420 (Cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant provisions. Furthermore, threatening and verbally abusing someone is punishable under Sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Speaking with The Mooknayak, Naresh Ahirwar said, “It is deeply humiliating and painful that I have been declared dead in government records. Because of this fraud, I couldn’t even avail of the Sabal Scheme benefits for my wife. When I tried to expose this, I started receiving threats. I only want strict action against those responsible and to secure my identity and rights.”
He further added, “Some influential people in the village and Panchayat officials are misusing government schemes. I am a daily wage laborer trying to support my family. This kind of fraud has caused me financial and mental suffering. I have appealed to the Collector and the Superintendent of Police for justice, but no concrete action has been taken so far.”
The current Sarpanch of Bagalkhedi, Rambharosh Yadav, confirmed to The Mooknayak that Naresh Ahirwar was declared dead in official records during the previous administration. He stated, “It is true that Naresh was declared dead, and the funds meant for government schemes were embezzled. As a result, he is now unable to avail himself of the benefits of any government schemes.”
Rambharosh further explained that this incident occurred during the tenure of former Sarpanch Surekha Yadav and Secretary Rajendra Dubey. He added, “This is a grave irregularity, and I urge the administration to investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible.”
The Mooknayak tried to contact Narmadapuram Collector Sonia Meena for her comments on the matter. However, she did not respond to phone calls. A text message was also sent to her, but no reply was received as of the time of writing this report.
Courtesy: The Mooknayak
Clash in Kushinagar: Families Feud Over Missing Dalit Woman
A dispute erupted between two families in Laukariya village, Kushinagar district, over the disappearance of a Dalit woman in December 2024. Accusations led to the registration of FIRs against both parties, with claims of assault and intimidation. Police are investigating the matter as tensions persist.
A heated confrontation between two families has unfolded in Laukariya village, Kushinagar district, following the mysterious disappearance of a Dalit woman, the police reported on Monday.
The married daughter of Jai Kumar, a resident of the village, was reported missing on December 28, 2024. The family accuses Roz Muhammad of involvement, prompting a confrontation with Muhammad’s family and subsequent police intervention.
Multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed, alleging mutual assault and intimidation. Police suspect some claims may be exaggerated and are investigating the ongoing situation. Authorities assure that they are working to maintain peace and resolve the conflict.
Courtesy: Dev Discourse
A Dalit Mechanic in UP Spent 15 Months Fighting a False ‘Conversion’ FIR – and Won
After being attacked by members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal, Sonu Saroj and his family were subject to yet another attack – from the Uttar Pradesh police who misused the state’s controversial anti-conversion law.
A Dalit Mechanic in UP Spent 15 Months Fighting a False ‘Conversion’ FIR – and Won
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This is the first article in a series of reports on people who won their legal battles after being falsely charged under the anti-conversion laws brought in by BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
New Delhi: June 25, 2023 began as any other Sunday morning for 35-year-old Sonu Saroj. His family members, distant relatives and people from neighbouring villages had congregated in an open space near a brick shed he had built behind his house in Kodra village, Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh to participate in a prayer meeting dedicated to Jesus Christ. A vehicle mechanic from the Dalit community, Saroj was known to host prayer meetings in a makeshift ramshackle prayer centre – Jeevan Dwar Prarthna Bhavan – which he had registered in the form of a society. But as the day went on, things were far from normal.
The event was scheduled to start at 11 am; around 250 voluntary participants, many of them women, had already gathered near Saroj’s shed half an hour before that. Others were still trickling in when a mob of 10-15 Hindutva men linked to the extremist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal barged into Saroj’s premises and created a ruckus. “They were charged and carrying lathis and dandas (batons). They did not offer any warning, they just started hitting us all,” says Saroj.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
His nephew was assaulted by three men. And when Saroj’s wife Prabha (name changed), who was bathing at that time, rushed out to intervene, the miscreants, some of whom wore saffron scarves, allegedly manhandled her. One of them struck her head hard with a lathi, causing her serious injury. The mob accused Saroj of holding unauthorised prayer meetings in a bid to convert local Hindus to Christianity.
After a few minutes, police arrived and took her to a hospital, where she received treatment. Instead of taking action against the aggressors, the police used Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sent Saroj to jail. The section gives the police the power to arrest a person without a warrant or a magistrate’s order if they believe he or she is planning to commit a cognisable crime. Later in the day, an FIR was lodged against Saroj at the Salon police station under Sections 3 and 5 (1) of the stringent anti-conversion law conceived by the Yogi Adityanath government in 2020 in the form of an ordinance, The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The case was registered on the complaint of Sanjay Kumar Tiwari, a member of the VHP. The FIR accused Saroj of conducting “changai sabhas” or special healing meetings to unlawfully convert poor Hindus to Christianity using allurement and deception.
A law to harass
Saroj is among at least 2,700 people who have been implicated in over 835 criminal cases under the anti-conversion law in the state (according to official figures till July 31, 2024) since November 2020. The law was brought in to give legal heft to the Sangh parivar’s agenda of criminalising romantic relationships and marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men, and targeting Muslim men and their families. Deviously referred to as ‘love jihad’ by the saffron party and parts of the mainstream media, the conspiracy theory remains legally undefined and unrecognised. However, the law has also been systematically and rampantly used against those people considered Hindus, especially those from the Dalit, tribal and backward caste communities, on the allegation that they are converting poor, marginalised Hindus to Christianity. Rights activists, the political opposition and lawyers have accused the government of lodging false cases under the law to harass those who deviate from its philosophy of Brahmanical Hindutva.
Saroj, who was born into the Pasi sub-caste of Dalits, believes that his caste identity was a major factor behind his ordeal. The Pasis, the second largest Scheduled Caste community in the state, have a long historical legacy and cultural claim in the areas of Awadh adjoining Lucknow. Salon, Saroj’s hometown in Rae Bareli, is located around 110 km south-east of Lucknow.
Since the law came into force, only a handful of cases and trials have reached a legal conclusion. According to a report in The Times of India, from November 2020 to July 31, 2024, police registered more than 835 FIRs and arrested 1,682 people on charges of unlawful conversion. Only four of these cases, the report notes, have seen a conviction so far. On the other hand, the acquittals had been unreported until The Wire in August 2024 broke the story of how a court in Bareilly not only acquitted two Hindu men of unlawful conversion charges but also ordered legal action against police officers for falsely implicating them on the basis of a baseless complaint by a self-styled Hindutva cow vigilante.
Saroj’s story is among those rare cases where courts have concluded the legal proceedings following allegations of unlawful conviction. Almost 15 months after he was booked, Saroj was discharged from the case in September 2024 after a local court decided that there were not sufficient grounds to proceed against him. This is an account of how the prosecution’s case built on flimsy allegations fell apart even before it reached the stage of trial.
Saroj says his wife Prabha is still suffering the repercussions of the blow to her head. She is unable to work like she used to and struggles to take care of the house and their four children. The couple has two daughters, aged 13 and nine, and two sons, 16 and seven. “My wife’s head had cracked open. The real problems started three to four months after the attack and I even had to admit her to the AIIMS hospital in Rae Bareli for a week. She continues to face problems – her eyesight has worsened and on occasion, she loses consciousness for long durations. She’s not the same person,” says Saroj, despairingly.
Prabha after she was attacked. Photo: Special arrangement
The cost of fighting caste oppression
Though Saroj is a Hindu Dalit on paper, for the last ten years he has grown to be increasingly influenced by the philosophy and teachings of Jesus Christ. He watched videos about Christ on Youtube, and even started attending Christian prayer meetings. Initially, Saroj was drawn towards Christ by like-minded people in Prayagraj. But travelling there for regular meetings and prayer events was cumbersome as well as expensive. So, one day, he decided to conduct the prayer meetings in his own house with his family. He was pleasantly surprised by the turnout and decided to continue hosting the meetings regularly. As the gatherings got larger, he built a small shed for them. While Saroj continues to maintain a Hindu identity, not formally converting to Christianity, he has developed faith in the healing powers of Jesus. He believes that his exposure to Jesus Christ brought a positive change in his life and helped rid many of his vices, such as liquor abuse.
“I remember the police would pass by but they did not trouble us,” he says. “To be honest, I did have my inhibitions initially. I thought this would also turn out to be like the other religions, which only prescribe remedies and rituals. They are obsessed with exorcism. But the message of Jesus was something totally different.”
The FIR against him was based on vague allegations. In his police complaint, Tiwari did not mention any particular incident of unlawful conversion or name a victim. Tiwari alleged that for the last five years, Saroj had been organising “changai sabhas” in Kodra on Tuesdays and Sundays without prior permission from the authorities. Through these gatherings, Tiwari alleged, Saroj was “misleading and confusing” people of the Hindu religion to get them to adopt Christianity.
Saroj believes that the right-wing activists targeted him to punish him for embracing the teachings of Jesus and to dissuade others from attending such prayers. “I had no enmity or conflict with anyone. But I guess it was also due to my caste. Some people would get jealous, thinking how come so many people, with their cars parked in the neighbourhood, were drawn to my prayer meetings,” he says.
Embedded in Saroj’s newfound yet complicated attachment to Christian philosophy is also the historical and ongoing resistance of Dalits against caste oppression and a search for dignity. Though he acknowledges that he did not have prior permission from the authorities to hold the meetings, he denies the allegation of religious conversion and distinguishes having ‘faith’ in Jesus from a formal conversion to Christianity.
“When lower caste people start going to churches, they start to develop and get educated. They also want to educate their children and most importantly, learn to fight for their rights,” says Saroj. But the feudal and casteist elements in society, he adds, cannot tolerate this. “They want us to remain illiterate and ignorant. They prefer that we work in their fields instead of studying in schools.”
A personal grudge also seems to have motivated the FIR, he claims. While seeking bail in the case, Saroj had told a local court that on June 15, 2023 – ten days before the incident – Tiwari had come to Saroj’s rented garage to get his motorcycle fixed. For the service, Tiwari was supposed to pay Saroj Rs 600. But when Saroj asked for it, Tiwari reacted angrily and allegedly boasted about his Bajrang Dal background. “‘How dare you demand money from me, you bloody P…… (casteist slur)’,” Saroj said in his bail application, repeating what Tiwari allegedly told him. As a result of this confrontation, Saroj says, Tiwari lodged a false case against him.
Police breaking the rules of UP’s anti-conversion law
Saroj filed a discharge application under Section 227 of the CrPC, which provides a judge the power to discharge an accused if upon consideration of all the material available, the court feels there is no sufficient ground for criminal proceedings. On September 21, 2024 after a detailed discussion on the merits of the case, additional sessions judge Rae Bareli Amit Kumar Pandey admitted Saroj’s discharge application. The judge ruled that there was no basis whatsoever for action against Saroj under the charge of unlawful conversion.
Hindutva right-wing men threatening villagers. Photo: Special arrangement
The case against Saroj contravened some essential sections of UP’s anti-conversion law. Section 3 of the law prohibits the conversion from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion or allurement. Section 5 (1) prescribes the punishment for the above offence: a minimum jail term of one year but may extend to five years. In case the alleged victim is a woman, a minor, a Dalit or a tribal, the minimum punishment would be two years in jail, which could extend up to 10 years with a fine of Rs 25,000. Section 2 (1) of the law defines who is authorised to carry out a conversion legally. A “religion converter” means a person of any religion who performs any act of conversion from one religion to another religion and by whatever name he is called such as Father, Karmkandi, Maulvi or Mulla, etc., says the law. Saroj argued that he was not a “religious converter” and hence had no authority to convert people from one religion to another.
Most importantly, the FIR was also in conflict with Section 4 of the 2021 Act, which defines who is authorised to file a complaint against unlawful conversion. Section 4 of the law says that “any aggrieved person, his or her parents, brother, sister or any other person related to him or her by blood, marriage or adoption” would be considered competent to lodge an FIR.
However, despite several reminders by the Allahabad high court, police in UP are brazenly allowing third parties, especially extremist Hindutva elements, Bharatiya Janata Party members, local elected representatives and police officers themselves to lodge complaints even when they are in no way aggrieved or the possible victims of forced or deceptive conversions. To tackle this legal problem, the Adityanath government in July 2024 amended Section 4 of the law to widen its scope and allow “any person” to lodge a complaint against an unlawful conversion even if they were not the aggrieved or a relative of the aggrieved.
FIR against Saroj an ‘unlawful document’
In Saroj’s case, there was no specific victim of unlawful conversion, nor was the FIR lodged by any aggrieved person. During the investigation, the police said they recovered a copy of the Old Testament Bible, a copy of the Believers Bible Commentary New Testament (Part 1), a diary, a register and nine envelopes from Saroj. The diary, Saroj said, documented the names and phone numbers of people who were regulars at his prayer meetings.
The prosecution produced before the court more than half-a-dozen witnesses – Meva Lal Bharti, Vinod Maurya, Suresh Singh, Kulai, Dwija, Sita Patel, Suraj Pal Kaushal. Many of them, if not all, were affiliated to the Bajrang Dal. In one voice, they testified that Saroj had been holding “changai sabhas” where he “spoke highly” of the Christian faith and Christ, and spoke critically of Hindu deities and goddesses.
The judge did not give any credence to these statements, and pointed out that the investigating officer had failed to record the statement of a single person who was either aggrieved or had been deceived into converting. In his order, Judge Pandey pointed out that none of the witnesses produced by the prosecution spoke about unlawful conversion. They only recorded that Saroj gathered people in his house and lauded Christianity, he said.
Judge Pandey concluded that the FIR filed against Saroj was an “unlawful document”. Tiwari had no right to file a complaint in the matter and the police had no right to register the FIR against Saroj, said the judge. Tiwari was not an aggrieved person nor related to any alleged victim.
Scene at the prayer meeting after the ruckus. Photo: Special arrangement
The judge also observed that the FIR did not specify which person or community was being converted. There were no witnesses that Saroj had converted or attempted to convert any person from one religion to another through misrepresentation, allurement, force, undue influence or pressure, noted Judge Pandey. The judge also underlined that recovering religious books such as The Bible from someone’s house did not automatically make them guilty under the Act of 2021.
The anti-conversion case was only one part of Saroj’s battle. After he and his family were assaulted by the right-wing activists, he struggled to get an FIR registered against them, running from pillar to post. Eventually, he had to approach a local court seeking the registration of a criminal case and in February 2024, an FIR was lodged against seven persons and 10 unidentified others. Among the accused were Bajrang Dal district convenor Suresh Singh and his alleged associates Pappu Kaushal, Ram Sajeevan, Satish Joshi, Aman Singh, Shiva and Dheeraj Kaushal. They were booked for attempt to murder, assault and disturbing religious assemblies, among other offences. Though he has been cleared of false charges of unlawful conversion, Saroj is not too hopeful for justice in this case.
The Wire spoke to Tiwari but he surprisingly, against all documentary evidence, insisted that it was Suresh Singh, and not him, who had filed the complaint against Saroj. He had no further comments and distanced himself from the matter. He asked The Wire to contact Singh, who could not be reached.
Courtesy: The Wire
SC calls for Data on caste discrimination in Higher Education
NEW DELHI: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi, the Supreme Court has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to provide comprehensive data on caste discrimination in higher educational institutions (HEIs). The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, issued the order on Friday, emphasizing the need to examine the implementation of the UGC’s 2012 regulations aimed at promoting equity in HEIs.
The court asked the UGC to compile information from all Central, state, private, and deemed universities regarding the establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells and the total number of complaints received under the 2012 regulations. Additionally, the bench sought details of action taken on these complaints.
Acknowledging submissions by the UGC about newly formulated regulations, the court instructed the commission to officially notify and submit these updated guidelines.
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Alarming Suicide Statistics in HEIs
During the hearing, the bench was informed that 115 student suicides have occurred in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) alone between 2004 and 2024. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the court committed to periodic hearings to ensure the regulations are effectively implemented.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing the petitioners, criticized the UGC for failing to enforce its 2012 guidelines, which aim to eliminate caste-based discrimination in academic institutions. She further urged the court to obtain data from the Central government and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) on suicides among Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in HEIs. The bench has asked both entities to file detailed responses within four weeks.
Context of the PIL
Rohit Vemula, a Ph.D. scholar from Hyderabad Central University, died by suicide on January 17, 2016, allegedly due to caste discrimination. Similarly, Payal Tadvi, a tribal student at Mumbai’s Topiwala National Medical College, took her life on May 22, 2019, after reportedly facing caste-based harassment from peers.
In 2019, their mothers filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking a robust mechanism to address caste discrimination on campuses. They highlighted the pervasive discrimination faced by SC/ST students and called for mandatory Equal Opportunity Cells in all HEIs. The petition also proposed including SC/ST representatives, NGOs, and social activists in these cells to ensure fairness and transparency.
The court’s directive marks a significant step in addressing caste-related issues in educational institutions and ensuring accountability in creating inclusive academic environments.
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