Kerala: Why did a Dalit priest have to resign after just four months on the job?
P.R. Vishnu, a Dalit priest with the Travancore Devaswom Board, has resigned. He alleged caste discrimination and ongoing threats. This harassment began after a police complaint was filed two years ago. Kochi: P.R. Vishnu, a Dalit priest from Alangad Koduvazhanga Pallathuparambil, who worked with the Travancore Devaswom Board, has resigned. Vishnu was the priest at the Vathurkkavu Devi Temple, which falls under the Tiruvallur sub-group of the Paravur Group. Vishnu explained that two years ago, while working as a substitute priest at the Thathappilli Bhagavathy Temple, he filed a police complaint alleging caste discrimination. Following this, he faced threats and taunts. Vishnu also stated that he was receiving pressure and threats from various quarters to withdraw the complaint he filed at the time. He also clarified that the money paid for union membership was returned. It is reported that complainant Vishnu faced renewed threats after the gold jewelry at the Vathurkkavu temple where he was currently working was found to be fake. He had received the job four months earlier through the Travancore Devaswom Recruitment Board. Vishnu clarified that this was the reason he decided to leave. Author: Satyam Bhardwaj Courtesy: Hindi News
How, in a first, Bhopal’s transgender community is split on communal lines
A group of eunuchs has petitioned the Bhopal administration that they are being forced to convert to Islam. Their other claim: infiltration of ‘Bangladeshis’ into the community Communal divide seems to have hit the eunuch/transgender community too. In Bhopal, one group has accused the other of forcible conversion and exploitation. The accusations include infiltration by ‘Bangladeshi’ eunuchs, in much the same way as claims about illegal border influx from Bangladesh in eastern and northeastern India. A group of eunuchs has petitioned the Bhopal district administration that they are being forced to convert to Islam. Last week, the group held a meeting at a slum settlement to apparently formulate a strategy against what they termed as ‘kinnar (transgender) jihad’. Rishi Ajay Das, founder of the Kinnar Akhada, an outfit that claims to work for the empowerment of transgenders, said a guru of the eunuchs in Mangalwara, located in the older part of Bhopal where most transgenders in Bhopal reside, had been attempting to convert Hindu members of the community to Islam. He alleged that alms collected by Hindu eunuchs was being used for building religious and educational structures of another community. So far, Bhopal never witnessed communal tension in the transgender community. While the city’s transgenders are aligned to various groups, internal rivalries and fights have been over territory control or joining of new members, but never on religious lines. Das mentioned a third angle for the conflict: Bangladeshi eunuchs entering Bhopal—a claim he did not substantiate but said had caused divisions in the community. At last count, way back in 2011, the eunuch/transgender community in Bhopal numbered around 300. However, voluntary organisations suggest they could be 10 times that estimate. Das has sought the district administration’s intervention by claiming to be a minority within a minority grouping. Rahul Noronha Courtesy : India Today Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiatoday.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Kolkata academics win A K Ramanujan Prize for translating Dalit poet Kalyani Thakur Charal’s works into English
The Association for Asian Studies announced the winners of this year’s prizes, which recognise outstanding scholarship and contribution to the field, on February 11. KOLKATA: Two academicians, Sipra Mukherjee, professor of English at the West Bengal State University, and Mrinmoy Pramanick, professor of Comparative Literature, who recently joined Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi from Bengal for the first time, won the prestigious A K Ramanujan Prize for translating Dalit poet Kalyani Thakur Charal’s Bengali poems into English. Charal’s works were published between the 1990s and 2020s and include her collections during this period. Mukherjee and Pramanick took two years to translate Charal’s Bengali poems into English. Charal, 60, hails from Bagula town in Nadia district of Bengal, where her father worked as a security guard in a nearby school and her mother was a housewife but literate. There is not much writing by Dalit women in Bengali available in English translation. With these English translations, Charal’s works on marginal lives will reach a wider audience. “One naturally feels happy to be recognised. The recognition brings more attention to a book that deserves to have a larger readership than what the vernacular Bangla can give,” Mukherjee told TNIE. The Association for Asian Studies announced the winners of this year’s prizes, which recognise outstanding scholarship and contribution to the field, on February 11. Winners will be given the award at a ceremony during the Association’s annual conference on March 13 in Vancouver. This year, South Asian writers Rishad Choudhury, Charu Gupta, and translators Mukherjee and Pramanick are the winners of the Bernard S Cohn Prize, Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Prize, and AK Ramanujan Prize for Translation, respectively. Subhendu Maiti Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Water supply, street lights disconnected in Dalit hamlet in Bolangir; residents allege caste discrimination
Allegations of caste-based discrimination have surfaced from Dumerchuan village under Turekela block in Odisha’s Bolangir district, where residents of a Dalit hamlet claim that their water supply and basic amenities have been deliberately disrupted. Allegations of caste-based discrimination have surfaced from Dumerchuan village under Turekela block in Odisha’s Bolangir district, where residents of a Dalit hamlet claim that their water supply and basic amenities have been deliberately disrupted. According to the residents, the piped water supply to the locality was allegedly stopped a few days ago. They further alleged that street lights in the hamlet were switched off, leaving the area in darkness and causing hardship to families living there. Residents Level Serious Allegations Men and women from Dalit families have accused certain villagers of discriminating against them based on caste. They claim that despite repeated complaints to the local administration, no action has been taken so far. One of the residents said, “They have access to electricity and water supply, whereas we do not. When we tried to arrange water through the borewell facilities, we were not allowed to do so. We are suffering along with our children. We do not have access to clean drinking water, and our roads remain dark as there is no electricity. We request that the government solve our problems so that we can live with dignity. If our basic needs are not fulfilled, we will be forced to protest.” Residents alleged that they approached the administration multiple times, but their grievances remain unaddressed. Administrative Response Awaited With Maha Shivratri observed on Sunday and an optional holiday in Bolangir on Monday, government offices remain closed. It is expected that the matter will be taken up once offices reopen. Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the allegations. Srijata Mishra Courtesy : OdishaTV Note: This news is originally published on https:/odishatv.in/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Five Arrested In Dalit Murder Case: Police Encounter Leaves Two Suspects Shot
Uttar Pradesh cops nab key accused in stabbing death of 30-year-old man amid caste atrocity probe Satya Prakash Ram, 30, from Gurgujpur village, was fatally stabbed near a Sawara liquor shop after an argument on Saturday. Case filed against Sundaram Singh, Raja Singh, and Umakant Pandey under BNS murder section and SC/ST Atrocities Act based on victim’s brother’s complaint. Early Sunday shootout near Navapura-Mahatwar Road led to arrests of all five, with two injured accused hospitalised; police seized pistol, knife, and bikes. Five men, including three accused named in the fatal stabbing of a 30-year-old Dalit man, were arrested following a police encounter in the Rasra area of Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, according to PTI. The incident, reported PTI, stemmed from the murder of Satya Prakash Ram, a resident of Gurgujpur village in Rasra, who was allegedly stabbed to death by three men near a liquor shop in Sawara village on Saturday afternoon after an argument. Based on a complaint from the victim’s brother, Om Prakash, police registered a case against Sundaram Singh, Raja Singh, and Umakant Pandey—all residents of Sawara village—under section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Ballia Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh on Sunday said Pandey was arrested soon after the incident. He said that around 4 am on Sunday, during a vehicle-checking drive near the Navapura-Mahatwar Road, police signalled four motorcycle-borne suspects to stop. However, they opened fire at the police team in an attempt to escape. Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) team retaliated in self-defence, arresting two named accused in the murder case—Sundaram Singh alias Satya Singh, 21, and Raj Singh alias Raja Singh, 24, who were injured. Sundaram was shot in the left leg, while Raj sustained a gunshot injury in his right leg, police said. During the encounter, police also arrested Anuj Singh, 19, of Badi Pakwal in the Sarayalkhasni area of Mau district, and Ajay Kharwar, 18, of Chakia in the Ranipur area of Mau district. The two injured accused have been admitted to a hospital. Police recovered a country-made pistol, cartridges, two motorcycles, and the knife allegedly used in the murder from the accused. Curated by: Saher Hiba Khan Courtesy : Outlook India Note: This news is originally published on https:/outlookindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Kendrapara anganwadi boycott ends as villagers agree to send children after dalit cook’s appointment
This was a marked change from a similar meeting on Wednesday that saw only two attendees despite persuasion by the district administration. KENDRAPARA: Following the intervention of the Odisha State Commission for Women and the district administration, residents of Nuagaon village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara on Saturday agreed to send their children to the Anganwadi centre from Monday. The villagers had boycotted the anganwadi since November after the appointment of a dalit cook. The meeting, held at the centre on Saturday, saw participation of over 150 villagers. This was a marked change from a similar meeting on Wednesday that saw only two attendees despite persuasion by the district administration. The meeting was attended by additional district magistrate Nabakrushna Jena, sub-collector Arun Nayak, member of state women’s commission Kalpana Mallick, along with police officers and activists. Further, a community feast was held after the meeting, where the dalit anganwadi cook Sarmista Sethi (23), served food to villagers as a gesture of reconciliation. Officials also conducted door-to-door outreach, after which villagers expressed willingness to resume Anganwadi services. The villagers taking oath to send their children to the centre from Monday. The villagers taking oath to send their children to the centre from Monday.(Photo | Express) The administration engaged local artists to stage street plays in the village to spread awareness against caste-based discrimination. Pala singers were also involved in spreading awareness on the day. Nayak said these efforts helped villagers understand the social risks of boycotting the worker. Mallick said that after a series of talks, the matter has been amicably settled. “The Anganwadi centre will function normally as parents have consented to send their children,” said Sujata Nayak, member of the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Notably, the authorities had appointed Sethi as a cook-cum-helper at Nuagaon in November, following which the village committee decided to boycott the centre in protest against the appointment of a dalit cook. Around 45 families, including seven dalit families, live in the riverside village. According to Ghadiamala sarpanch Sailendra Mishra said that not only children, but even pregnant women had also stopped visiting the centre, missing out on nutrition, health check-ups, iron-folic acid supplements, immunisation and health education. Ashis Senapati Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Tamil Nadu: 360 Dalit families forced to live in darkness for 40 years, now announce election boycott due to lack of amenities
The plight of Tirthakadu village in Madurai: Three generations are suffering in the struggle for land leases, even in the minister’s constituency, far from development, now the slogan is “No facilities, no vote.” Madurai: For approximately 360 Dalit families living in Tirthakadu village, located near Vandiyur within the Madurai city limits, the past four decades have been spent in the midst of government file-sharing and darkness. The ongoing tussle between the Municipal Corporation and the State Revenue Department over the issuance of land leases has directly impacted the lives of ordinary people. As a result, for more than 40 years, residents have been forced to live without basic amenities like electricity, drinking water, paved roads, drainage, and sanitation. Administrative Neglect and Public Suffering Surprisingly, this area falls under Ward 38 of the Madurai City Corporation and is part of the Madurai East Assembly constituency, represented by Commercial Tax Minister P. Murthy. Despite this, the suffering of the 1,200 residents living here remains untold, unheard, and ignored by the authorities. The New Indian Express reported that, according to local residents, several poor Dalit families settled on barren plots of land on the outskirts of the city years ago. They were promised leases for nine acres and 13 cents of land by various governments. However, in reality, only 68 families were issued e-pattas by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in December last year. This delay in issuing the leases has stalled development work, as the Revenue Department is stuck in the process of transferring the common land area to the city corporation for the development of amenities. “Enough is enough”: Election boycott decision Determined to no longer tolerate government apathy, the Tirthakadu SC Residents Protection Welfare Association has taken the firm decision to boycott the upcoming elections. Posters with slogans like “Enough is enough” have been pasted in and around the village, clearly stating that they will not vote in any election until basic amenities are provided. Expressing their anger, Muthamil Pandian, president of the association, said, “We have decided to boycott the assembly elections to protest this neglect that has continued for 40 years. We also plan to take out a rally to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in Chennai in the next few days.” Expensive water and the fear of darknessMullikodi, 35, a resident of the village, said that more than 350 Scheduled Caste (SC) families have been living here since 1983. Expressing their anguish, they said, “We have built houses, but the corporation has refused to provide basic amenities. Due to the lack of water pipelines, we have to pay Rs. 80 for a 100-liter barrel of non-potable borewell water and Rs. 15 for a pitcher of drinking water.” The lack of electricity also poses a serious security threat in the village. Mullikodi alleged that anti-social elements take advantage of the darkness to carry out illegal activities. He said, “We are daily wage laborers and cannot rent a house elsewhere. Due to the darkness in the neighborhood, we cannot go to work before sunrise and return home after sunset. There is also the danger of poisonous insects and snakes at night.” Furthermore, due to the lack of toilets, women and girls face harassment while defecating in the open. The darkness of education: Free laptops given to students go to waste The lack of electricity has also put a shadow on the future of children. Another woman from the village, 30-year-old Renuka, said, “Due to lack of proper lighting, students are forced to study by candlelight. We cannot use any electronic devices, and even the free laptops given to students by the government are lying idle or have been sold because they cannot charge.” The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that not a single child from this village has graduated in the last 40 years. Renuka explained that they have to spend money even for basic needs. People go to nearby areas where there is electricity to charge their phones, paying Rs. 5 per device. Officials’ View On this serious issue, a senior revenue official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We are looking into the matter and taking steps to meet the villagers’ demands, including electricity and water connections.” Meanwhile, when District Collector K.J. When Praveen Kumar was contacted, he said he would speak to the Municipal Commissioner regarding the matter. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
A Meerut wedding that got too risky. Dalit bride, Muslim groom, parents, venue ready
The FIR against the Muslim groom has left two families, who barely a week ago were in a celebratory mood, worrying for their safety. The engagement hall that was booked by the Meerut families. Akanksha Gautam and Shahvez Rana were supposed to exchange rings last week when an FIR was lodged against the groom alleging forced conversion. | Sabah Gurmat | ThePrint A Meerut interfaith wedding between Akanksha Gautam and Shahvez Rana was cancelled after Akanksha’s uncle, instigated by a Hindutva group, filed a “love jihad” FIR. The couple, who had planned a secular marriage, face emotional and financial distress, and fear for their safety under Uttar Pradesh’s controversial law. *AI-generated summary. Check context in original text. Meerut: Akanksha Gautam should have been receiving congratulatory messages and calls on her phone. The 29-year-old Meerut woman was supposed to marry her former neighbour Shahvez Rana. Now, the wedding is cancelled. And an FIR and the draconian love-jihad law haunt the couple. Akanksha’s phone was ringing non-stop on Wednesday morning. But now, she is battling the system while trying hard to minimise her losses on a wedding that has cost the family a fortune. “I paid Rs 65,000 to book the Saat Phere banquet hall for my sagai. I just want the refund now,” said Akanksha, distraught about what is to follow. In her living room, crammed with cartons of Voltas and LG ACs bought as “gifts” for the groom’s side, Akanksha sank into the sofa and turned her phone off. Her cousin Madhu had arrived from Agra, looking forward to all the dancing and celebrations at the haldi and mehendi ceremonies. “Now it’s less like a shadi ka ghar, more like a maatam ka mahaul.” The Meerut couple is the latest to be at the receiving end of the Uttar Pradesh law that many have called regressive ever since it came into existence in 2020. The case has left two families, who till barely a week ago were in a celebratory mood, worrying for their safety. While police investigate the ‘love jihad’ allegations against the groom, and the family seeks appointments with top cops in the hope of some relief, WhatsApp forwards and fake news circulation hound Shahvez and his kin. And the Hindu group that helped file the FIR has openly declared they will not leave the couple alone. In UP, nobody wants to host an inter-faith wedding. Twenty-five-year-old Shahvez served as a manager at a small privately-run hospital in Meerut. Now, he is “too afraid” to return to his work. “My name, my work, my reputation has all gone. Even Akanksha – and she is alone just with her sister and mother, did anyone think of her? – she is at risk too. This is all happening because of Sachin Sirohi and goons like him who have instigated her uncle. Her chacha has known me for years, did he not know I’m Muslim? Go ask him, ask his whole family. They all know me well! They are just being instigated by these hate mongering goons” said Shahvez over a video call, unable to hold back his tears. Sirohi is a well-known vigilante in Meerut who enjoys political patronage. He was earlier the Meerut zone’s head of the Hindu Jagran Manch, and has been involved in incidents like this in the past as well. Local journalists said he likes to do whatever it takes to get in the limelight. ThePrint tried reaching out to Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey and SP (rural) Abhijeet Kumar through calls and messages. This report will be updated with their responses as and when they arrive. Investigating Officer Dheeraj Singh said the probe was underway and that the police will proceed accordingly to ascertain whether this is a case of forced conversion or not. “No arrests have been made so far. The complainant’s claim was an offence of a serious nature, and the police are bound to register a case.” Sachin Sirohi (second from left), president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Sangathan with Prem Chand (third from left), Akanksha’s uncle in whose name the FIR was registered against Shahvez the Muslim groom. | Sabah Gurmat | ThePrint A name, a dog whistle, and an FIR Relatives from Agra had arrived at Akanksha’s home for the wedding. As the family now tries to make sense of the developments, they are also keeping an eye on how the case is being reported in the media Rohan, one of Akanksha’s nephews, fished out his phone and played a TV news story about Shahvez’s purported “Love Jihad”, even as he said that Shahvez had been like a friend to him. All her maternal side of relatives knew of him since the time they were friends. Madhu, the cousin and Megha, the younger sister, saw Shahvez as a caring and responsible man. Someone who had “always been there as a friend to our sister”. Akanksha Gautam with her mehndi. | Sabah Gurmat | ThePrint At the centre of this storm is 39-year-old Sachin Sirohi, who accompanied Akanksha’s uncle Prem Chand, and went to the Ganga Nagar police station on 9 February– just hours before the couple’s sagai/engagement ceremony. Their biggest reservation was a name printed on the wedding card. Shahvez’s name was printed as ‘Sahil’ in one version of the wedding cards distributed by the bride’s side. Aided by members of various Hindutva organisations, a police complaint was filed, which was later converted into an FIR. In 2021, Sirohi was booked in a case that involved pressurising a Hindu woman to slap and assault her Muslim friend. In December last year, Sirohi was accused by the family of a Muslim home-buyer, as the person responsible for threats. Sirohi and other Hindutva groups had opposed the sale of a home to a Muslim family in a posh colony inhabited by Hindus and Sikhs. Now, there is anger among Akanksha’s family members and an urge to respond. Rohan said that if their side could get “people from the Bhim Army”—the way
Red tape: 360 Dalit families live in dark for 40 years in Tamil Nadu
Several poor Dalit families settled down on barren land strips on the city’s outskirts over the years in batches, and were promised patta for nine acres and 13 cents of land by successuve governments. MADURAI: For the nearly 360 Dalit families residing at Theerthakadu village near Vandiyur within Madurai city limits, the tug-of-war between the city corporation and the state revenue department over issuance of land pattas has meant a life without electricity, drinking water, roads, drainage, and sanitation facility for more than 40 years. Though the locality falls under ward 38 of the Madurai City Corporation and is part of the Madurai East Assembly constituency represented by Commercial Taxes Minister P Moorthy, for the authorities, the life of 1,200 residents is a matter unspoken, unheard, and unseen. According to a few residents, several poor Dalit families settled down on barren land strips located on the city’s outskirts over the years in batches, and they were promised patta for nine acres and 13 cents of land by successive governments. Only 68 families, however, received e-pattas from Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin in December last year. This delay in issuing pattas hampered the transfer of common land area for development of amenities by the state revenue department to the city corporation, leading to the delay in creating basic facilities in the locality. Unwilling to put up with this official apathy any longer, the Theerthakadu SC Residents Protection Welfare Association has decided to boycott the upcoming elections. Raising slogans such as “enough is enough”, the residents have pasted posters in and around the village announcing their decision to not vote in any election until they are provided with basic facilities. Speaking to TNIE, Muthamil Pandian, president of the association, said, “We have decided to boycott the Assembly polls in protest against this neglect for over 40 years. We are also planning a rally to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in Chennai in the next few days.” During TNIE’s visit to the village, resident N Mullaikodi (35) said more than 350 SC families have been living in the locality since 1983. ‘No power to charge free laptops given to students’ “Although we have constructed houses, the corporation has refused to provide basic amenities. Due to lack of water pipelines, we are forced to shell out Rs 80 for a 100-litre barrel of borewell water (for non-drinking use) and Rs 15 per pot of drinking water,” she said. She further alleged that the lack of electricity connection has made the village unsafe, with miscreants frequently using the area for illegal activities. “We are daily-wage labourers and cannot afford to live in rented houses elsewhere. We can’t go out to work before sunrise or return home after sunset as the locality is pitch dark. It is also dangerous at night due to poisonous insects and snakes,” she said, adding that women and girls are subjected to harassment when they go out to relieve themselves. “With no proper lighting, students are forced to study under candlelight. We are unable to use any electronic equipment, including free laptops, given to students. They remain unused or are sold. Not a single child from our village has graduated in the last 40 years. We are compelled to spend money even for basic necessities. We travel to nearby areas that have electricity and pay Rs 5 per device to charge phones,” said Renuka (30), another villager. A senior revenue official, under condition of anonymity, told TNIE, “We are looking into the issue and taking steps to fulfil the villagers’ demands, including electricity and water connection.” When contacted, Collector KJ Praveen Kumar told TNIE he would check with the Corporation Commissioner regarding the matter. Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Uproar over temple entry: Priest snatches offerings from woman’s hand and throws them on the road; you’ll be shocked to know the reason.
At the Hanuman Temple located at Amroha Gate in Moradabad, a priest prevented a Dalit woman from praying. Priest Sachin Sharma insulted the woman with casteist slurs… Read more Jagran correspondent, Moradabad. A Dalit woman who had come to worship at the Hanuman Temple located at Amroha Gate in the Kotwali area was not allowed to enter by the priest. When the woman attempted to worship, he insulted her with casteist slurs. The priest also threw away the offerings she had brought. Police have filed an FIR against the priest based on a complaint. The incident is three months old. Sushma, a resident of Buddhi Vihar in Majhola, stated in her complaint to the Kotwali police that she frequently visits the Hanuman Temple located near Amroha Gate. On December 9, 2025, at around 7 pm, she went to the temple to pray. The temple priest, Sachin Sharma, a resident of Dewan Bazaar, Nawabpura Road, Nagphani, refused to perform the puja after seeing the woman. The woman nevertheless attempted to enter the temple. The priest became enraged and snatched the prasad from her hand and threw it away. He began using casteist slurs in public. Hearing the commotion, people gathered nearby. They also tried to reason with the priest, but he refused to listen. The priest publicly insulted her using casteist slurs and threatened to kill her if she returned to the temple. Passersby present at the scene also protested. Inspector-in-Charge Rajesh stated that an FIR has been registered against priest Sachin Sharma based on the complaint. The incident is old. CCTV footage will not be available, but the entire matter is being investigated. Further action will be taken after the investigation. BY SACHIN CHOUDHARYEDITED BY: ANSHUL BHARTARIYA Courtesy: Hindi News