Monday, April 18, 2011

[ZESTCaste] ‘Attacks on dalits are only rising’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/153744/attacks-dalits-only-rising.html

'Attacks on dalits are only rising'
Bangarpet, Apr 14, DHNS:

As many as 1,450 cases registered in 2009

Remembered: A procession being taken out on the 120th birth
anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar in Shidlaghatta. dh photoA demand to
provide separate facilities to register cases of assault on people
belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the district was made by
Umashankar, district unit president of the Graduates' and
Post-graduates' Union.

Speaking about the matter to presspersons, Umashankar said dalits in
the district are continuously being attacked. Despite several years
since the implementation of legistations to protect civil as well
Scheduled Caste people's rights, there has been no fall in the number
of cases of assault on dalits. "Failure of the administration and
officers is the reason for this," he alleged.

He explained citing the example of the year 2007, when a total of
1,157 cases of attack on dalits were registered in the State. "Of
them, however, a mere 235 cases reached the courts for hearing. The
number of instances where the accused were proven guilty and received
punishment was even lesser- just 2.55 per cent," he said.

In 2008, 1543 cases were registered, 262 cases were heard and the
guilty were punished in only 36 cases- which is merely 3.44 per cent
of the total cases. In 2009, the number reduced very little- there
were 1450 cases registered, 64 cases heard and 4.65 cases saw justice
delivered.

"In almost every case, the accused is let free as innocent. This has
reduced fear of the law among the miscreants and increased the number
of attacks on dalits to a scary level," Umashankar said.

"Dalits were burnt alive in Kambalapalli. They were fed faeces in
Harati. Members of a dalit family in Nagalapalli were hacked to death
in broad daylight," he cited.

Umashankar said that in addition to the fact that control of attack on
dalits has only increased, "in most cases, prevention of assault is
not supported by the people."

"There is delay in registration of cases with the police. Also, even
when an FIR is filed, the case is just neglected and discarded as a
false complaint. In many other cases, wrong names are quoted or
registered as accused. FIRs are also filed on matters totally
unrelated to the assaults. There are also instances where the
complainant is made to sign on an empty sheet of paper and then a
totally different case is filed under his name," he explained.

If a complainant manages to surpass all such hurdles and moves ahead
with his complaint, the accusations are taken off from the B report.
Otherwise, he is threatened or lured into a compromise with the
accused.

"The legal guardians themselves prevent the cases of assault on dalits
from reaching the court. How then can the dalits get any justice?" he
asked.

The acts related to justice for dalits need urgent reconsideration, he urged.


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