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News Update 04/09/2004 1.Dalits seek share in `shamlat' land Tribune News Service http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040409/punjab1.htm#18 Sangrur, April 8 A deputation of the Kirti Mazdoor Union, Punjab, led by Mr Hari Ram, state secretary of the union, submitted a representation to Additional Deputy Commissioner N.S. Walia here, demanding `due share' from the shamlat (common land) of Cheema village in Barnala tehsil for Dalits and ban on the construction of a place of worship on the shamlat for being used by the Dalits the past several years. Mr Iqbal Singh, district president of the union, alleged that without taking the Dalits into confidence, the Panchayat of Cheema village had given the shamlat, to a community for a gaushala where a religious place was now being built. The union also wanted the administration to give possession to the Dalits of over 100 residential plots earmarked for them in the village two decades ago. Mr N.S. Walia, ADC, Sangrur, said he had forwarded the representation of the union to the Barnala SDM for an inquiry into the matter and to resolve the issue. 2. Dalit body to hold protest today Our Correspondent http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040409/punjab1.htm#26 Jalandhar, April 8 The All-India Confederation of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes Organisations, Punjab, will organise a march here tomorrow to protest against the failure of the state government to implement its accepted demands. In a press note issued here today, the press secretary of the confederation, Mr Harbinder Pal, said the state government was pursuing anti-Dalit policies. He said the withdrawal of facility of free treatment at government hospitals and dispensaries and shagun scheme and the hike in fees at school and college level were examples wherein the state government had hit the Dalit community hard. 3. Dalits ostracised for voting against Rajputs http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp template=Polls2004&slug=Dalits+ostracised+for+casting+free+ballot&id=5 1852&callid=1&category=National NDTV Correspondent Thursday, April 8, 2004 (Simla): For over a year, Dalit families in Dhar Kalana village near Simla have been treated as outcasts by the upper caste Rajputs because they voted against the Rajput candidate in the Himachal Assembly elections. With elections round the corner, these Dalits say that free and fair polls hold little meaning for them as they fear reprisal if they don't do as dictated by the upper caste community. Free ballot? One such victim, Sarita, and others in her community had paid heavily for casting their vote in favour of a candidate of their choice in the assembly polls last year. They were beaten up, and water supply to their homes and fields stopped. They are now not even allowed to walk on the village paths just because they had voted against the wishes of the dominant Rajput community. "Three of our crops have gone waste That is our main source of livelihood. They have uprooted our irrigation pipes. We are incurring huge losses. They had stopped the supply of our drinking water also," lamented Sarita Devi. No reprieve The authorities have been of little help to them. "We went to the government but there is no justice. The government officials have refused to listen to us," said another villager, Dhani Ram. It has been over a year since the assembly elections, but these villagers say that the police have not caught any of the culprits who beat them up. Officials say that they have ordered an enquiry to find out the guilty party. The most sensitive polling station is Dhar Kalana and we will try to ensure that there is no such incident," said S K B S Negi, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla. The Dalits now fear that unless they caste their vote in these Lok Sabha elections as dictated by the Rajputs, they will be ostracised further. |