Ambedkar Action Alert: Rape victim's kin torch houses of five accused, additional force posted

LUCKNOW: Agitated members of a community torched more than a dozen houses in Nawabganj area of Pratapgarh district on Saturday afternoon following the kidnapping, rape and murder of a minor girl. The houses belonged to the five accused in the case and their relatives. The situation was brought under control after additional police and PAC personnel reached the site and cane-charged the arsonists, after initial efforts to pacify them proved futile.

Additional police and PAC personnel have been deployed in the trouble hit area and senior district officials are camping at the site to ensure peace. Police said investigations are on to identify and arrest the arsonists who triggered the riots.

Reports said an 11-year-old girl went missing from outside her house in Nawabganj township of Pratapgarh on June 20. The following day, the body of the minor was recovered from the jungles. Prima facie and circumstantial evidence suggested that the minor was first raped and then strangled. On the complaint of the victim's family, Nawabganj police lodged an FIR against four local teenagers - all residents of the adjoining village - two of whom were seen outside the victim's house when she was detected missing. Later casual queries revealed that not only the two teenagers, but their two more friends were missing from their respective houses and that the two accused were spotted, the remaining two were also with them. Hence the victim's family named all the four teenagers as accused in case, which was registered as that of kidnapping, rape and murder.

The post mortem examination confirmed rape and strangulation. The victim's family was handed over the body of the deceased on Saturday. The family, relatives and neighbours of the victim were taking the body of the deceased for the last rites and lost their cool when the funeral procession was passing from the locality where the accused live.

With absolutely no police presence at the site, the family members of the accused teenagers - who were grossly out-numbered - fled for life abandoning their homes which were first ransacked by the mob and then torched. At least 12 houses had been gutted by the time police and firemen reached the site and doused the flames. Police said possibilities of anyone being trapped inside these houses and charred to death in the fire are almost zero. Still investigations are on to assess the losses incurred by the locals in the arson.

The Pioneer

Victim's body consigned to flames after 60-hour wait

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/75388-victims-body-consigned-to-flames-after-60-hour-wait-.html

Sunday, 24 June 2012 00:08

PRASNT MAHAHAPATRA/PNS | PURI/BHUBANESWAR

The body of Bebina Behera, the unfortunate Pipili girl who died at the SCB Medical College Hospital at about 11.15 am on Thursday was consigned to flames at the Swargdwar at Puri on Saturday night, almost 60 hours of wait-and-watch by the parents and political elements who still continue to bang the Government on the issue demanding a CBI probe.

As the curious crowd and the outraged social activists were uncontrollable, the district administration warding off any unpleasant situation, made elaborate police arrangements at the crematorium to see that the last rites of the gangrape and murder victim were performed peacefully.

Earlier, Bbauli Behera, father of Bebina, along with his brother and Dalit association leader Haladhar Sethy arrived here in the evening from Bhubaneswar with escort of the Commissionerate police who precede them straight to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital. They signing necessary documents in the presence of a magistrate and the additional superintendent of police, Babuli Behera received the body of Bebina from the morgue where it lay since Friday.

Speaking to the mediapersons present at the hospital, Behera, the father of the deceased, said they felt cheated by the Government. The Government had promised to employ his son and allot land for their settlement at Bhubaneswar as they were unsafe at their native village Arjungoda.

He said the villagers opposed to their family and particularly the Dalits were grudging against them. "We are now living at Bhubaneswar for the last seven months. The villagers had terrorised my son who is not traceable till now and we do not know his whereabouts," said Behera.

The body was taken by Babuli and his brother Kabuli and some of his fellow villagers amid police escort to Swargdwar crematorium for cremation.

Anticipating trouble, about two platoons of armed police headed by Additional Superintendent of Police BKGochhayat were deployed at the CDMO office and at the morgue where the body of Bebina was kept.

Meanwhile, during the day, social, political and Dalit outfits continued their chorus against the rising atrocities on Dalits in the State and made their demand for a CBI probe into the Bebina rape and murder case sharper.

While parties and organizations demanded Rs 25 lakh in compensation the the family of the deceased, Behera on the day demanded Rs 50 lakh, a Government job to his son and a plot of land in Bhubaneswar for settlement as he felt unsafe in Arjungoda.

The State unit of the SUCI and National Confederation of Dalits had organised demonstration before the Secretariat here protesting the police action of whisking the body of the victim to Arjungoda village and then to Puri against the wishes of her parents.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Gana Samaj, a civil society organisation also condemned the role of the State Government and particularly the police in not handing over the body of the victim to her parents for cremation as per their community's tradition.

The OGS which met here on the day under the chairmanship of veteran journalist Prashant Pataik decided to organise a protest dharna before the Raj Bhavan on June 28 by wearing black badges demanding CBI probe to give justice to the victim and her family and compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the victim's family.

Calling upon the members of all the political parties non-Government organizations, civil societies and human rights activists to join the dharna, the OGS said that it would submit a detailed report to the Governor relating to the alleged rape and incidents that led the victim to slip to coma and subsequent death.

Deccan Herald

'1,782 acre DC Manna land yet to be distributed'

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/259183/1782-acre-dc-manna-land.html

Mangalore, Jun 23, 2012, DHNS :

Dakshina Kannada Jilla Dalitara Jameenina Hakku Horata Samithi, Mangalore, has alleged that the Deputy Commissioner has written a letter to Revenue department Secretary, dated May 10, 2012 stating that Depressed Classes (DC) Manna land which has been illegally encroached by the individuals can not be evicted and there is no Act which states that the DC Manna land should be distributed among the beneficiaries hailing from Dalits alone.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, convenor Bhanuchandra Krishnapura alleged that Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda is following anti-Dalit policy.

DK district has 1,782.29 acre DC Manna land which has not been distributed among the Dalits. Though the law states that the DC Manna land should be distributed among SC/STs, the land has not been distributed so far. Hundreds of siteless Dalits had applied to the revenue department seeking DC Manna land.

However, the applications have not been disposed so far, he alleged. "If the land reserved for Dalits are encroached by non Dalits, then it will be a punishable offence under SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989. The revenue department has the responsibility to conserve the DC Manna land," he said.

He further added that in the letter to the Revenue Secretary, the DC had said "about 7,577.16 acre land was earmarked, even before the independence, to be distributed among the members of the weaker sections of the society, of which, 5,794.87 acre land has been distributed so far.

A large portion of this DC Manna land has been encroached in the form of road, drains, school grounds, electric poles and so on. Though many had applied under Amendment to Karnataka Land Revenue Act, for the regularisation of the land, the applications are in initial stages of inquiry."

The DC had said "Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964 and Karnataka Land Grants Act 1969 which has included Board Standing Orders of the Madras Presidency Land Act does not propose to include sanctioning of Depressed Classes.

As the encroached DC Manna land is used for the public purpose, it is not possible to evict them. Moreover, the land has been enjoyed by the Dalits, backward classes and others. There is no clear definition on depressed classes in the Land Act."

Krishnapura said that according to Karnataka Land Grants Act 1969, about 50 per cent of the government land should be earmarked for the SC/ST beneficiaries. However, the Act has not been implemented properly. According to the Act, the beneficiaries annual income should not exceed Rs 8,000 to avail the land.

Hence, there is a need to bring in Amendment to the Act and increase the annual income ceiling upto Rs 75,000, he added.

The Tribune

Scholarships for SC sportspersons

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120624/haryana.htm#7

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

The Haryana Government has implemented an ambitious scheme to encourage sportspersons belonging to Scheduled Castes by giving them scholarships.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Department said applications had been invited to give Fair Play sports scholarships for a year under special component scheme for Scheduled Castes on the basis of achievements of such sportspersons during the previous year. The applications have been invited online and the last date of submission of such applications has been extended up to June 30.

He said those sportspersons who had won medals at state-level sporting events and belong to Scheduled Castes family living below poverty line would get the scholarship for a year. For state-level participation and winning first three positions, the amount of scholarship would be Rs 1,500, Rs 2,500, Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 respectively. For the national-level medal winning achievements that is first three positions, the amount of scholarship would be Rs 3,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. In case of international level comparable achievements, the amount of scholarship would be Rs 5,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 for first three positions, respectively.

He said an additional amount of Rs 1,000 would be given in case of female athletes belonging to Scheduled Castes.

The applications forms are available at website haryanasports.gov.in<http://haryanasports.gov.in>, which can be submitted online at sports@hry.nic.inmailto:sports@hry.nic.in>.

The Pioneer

Dalit forum up in arms against Govt

http://dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/75332-dalit-forum-up-in-arms-against-govt.html

Saturday, 23 June 2012 22:43

SUGYAN CHOUDHURY/KISHORE MANGARAJ | BHUBANESWAR

Members of the National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) State unit on Saturday hit the streets against the increasing atrocities against Dalit and tribal people in the State, surprisingly when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has proposed PA Sangma, a candidate from the Dalit and tribal community for the top post of the country.

About 500 members of the confederation led by Ashok Mallick, the State unit president, marched from Master Canteen to the Lower PMG with slogans to arrest former Minister and BJD vice-president Damodar Rout who "humiliated the Dalit and tribal people" in a public meeting at Kujang.

At the rally, Mallick also demanded that the State Government should vacate Rout's advance bail and stay order from the High Court.

He said although nearly two years have elapsed, no action appears to have been taken by the Advocate General or by the State Government, which reveals the double standards and the lackadaisical attitude of the Naveen Patnaik Government that still continues to project the accused as vice-president and spokesperson of the ruling party.

Earlier in similar circumstances, Mallick said, Minister Pradeep Nayak and Minister Pramila Mallick had to resign from the Cabinet before surrendering in the Court. "But how does Naveen Pattnaik who claims to be Mr Clean, continues to allow an accused as a party functionary," he said, adding that it is humiliation of millions of Dalits of the State.

He said misusing his power as Panchayati Raj Minister, Rout had made a lady, Sarojini Sahoo, chairman of Kujang block who impersonated her sister to win the poll and latter when her term was over, she was illegally absorbed as a data entry operator in a Government undertaking, then chaired by Rout as Minister of Agriculture. Mallick demanded that Rout should be immediately sacked from the BJD.

The Nacdor also demanded that Pratap Jena, Minister School and Mass Education, should be removed from the Ministry for his atrocity on Dibakar Samal of village Katarpada under Nischintakoili block. While Jharsuguda MLA Naba Das attacked dalit Zilla Parishad member Trinath Goel, a police case was registered against Phulabani MP Rudra Madhab Ray for his remarks against Daspalla MLA Kasinath Mallick. "But no action has been taken as on date," Mallick said and demanded immediate action against the accused.

He further said the body of the Pipili gangrape victim, a Dalit girl, was forcibly taken away by the police to a place other than what the parents desired. A CBI inquiry into the Pipili incident has not been ordered so far. Even the accused IIC of the Pipili police station has not been removed from his service.

Mallick said as 10 lakh rupees was awarded to the Pipili gangrape victim's famaily recently, the same also should be awarded to the four Dalits who expired and four others injured seriously in the Kujang fire explosion on November16, 2011. Nacdor also demanded Crime Branch probe into the case, withdrawal of false police cases against Dalits and tribals in different parts of the State, free entry to all temples, Mallick said adding that the Government should create an environment for Dalit and tribal people to live with dignity in the society.

Another officer bearer of Nacdor Manoj Bhoi quoted an apex court Judgement delivered on last May 8 asking all State Governments and Union Territories to take strong action against people perpetrating atrocities on dalit men and women.

Among others, Editor of Amari Katha Kailash Mishra said that the atrocities on dalits are increasing in the State of a Chief Minister who has openly come out to support PA Sangama as the Presidential candidate.

Ashok Mallick was called in by the CMO and on return told The Pioneer, "We have submitted our memorandum to Special Secretary of the CMO RC Das who has assured appropriate action to redress our grievances, failing which we will be compelled to organise a State-level agitation."

--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.