Dalit leader killed in Kurnool, stirs statewide protests
Kurnool: A wave of anger and tension swept through Kurnool district following the brutal killing of a Dalit leader Ramesh, Andhra Pradesh State working president of Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS). The incident took place on Friday evening, near Bonthiralla Road in Bondumadugula village of Pattikonda constituency, when Ramesh was allegedly attacked while on his routine evening walk. The assailants reportedly rammed a tractor into him from behind and assaulted him with iron rods, leaving him critically injured. Local residents who noticed the incident alerted his family members, who immediately shifted him to the Kurnool Government General Hospital for advanced medical care. Despite intensive treatment, Ramesh succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. News of his death spread rapidly, triggering protests and condemnations not only across Kurnool district but also at the state level, with Dalit organisations terming the attack a premeditated and barbaric act. In protest against the killing, SC and ST Dalit leaders staged a late-night demonstration at the Kurnool District Collectorate around 9.00 pm on Friday. Leaders belonging to various Dalit organisations and political parties demanded the immediate arrest and remand of all those involved in the crime and called for stringent punishment to the accused. They alleged serious lapses in maintaining law and order and warned that failure to deliver justice would lead to intensified agitation. In protest against the killing, Dalit organisations staged a dharna in front of the Kurnool Collectorate on Saturday. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and stringent punishment for those responsible for the crime. They also urged the state government to ensure justice for the victim’s family and to take concrete steps to prevent such violent incidents in the future. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation, while security has been tightened in sensitive areas to prevent further unrest. The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of Dalit leaders in Andhra Pradesh and has put the district administration under severe pressure to act swiftly. Courtesy : THI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehansindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Denied access to funeral ground, Dalits light pyre on Bihar road
PATNA: Dalit villagers in Bihar’s Vaishali lit the pyre of a 91-year-old woman in the middle of a public road after allegedly being prevented from accessing the local cremation ground, sparking tensions and an inquiry. According to villagers and police, the funeral procession of Jhapsi Devi, a resident of Sondho-Vashudeo village in Goraul area, was on its way to the cremation ground on Thursday when some “influential” villagers allegedly stopped them. Enraged, the villagers carried the body to the middle of the road and cremated it there in full public view amid chants of Vedic rituals. Jhapsi died late Wednesday. The woman’s son, Sanjeet Manjhi, said the family was left with no option. “Jab ham logon ko nahin jane diya, toh gaon ke log bole ki yahi (road) par phoonk do (When we were not allowed to go the cremation site, villagers said we should hold the cremation here on the road itself,” Sanjeet said. Mewalal Manjhi, 67, another villager who was part of the procession, voiced deep despair. “We are poor, with no house and no land. Now, we are not even being allowed to cremate the bodies of our dead,” Mewalal asked. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Coimbatore: Cow dung smeared in office after Dalit manager’s transfer, bus driver suspended
Coimbatore: A deeply shameful incident of caste discrimination has come to light from Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Here, a bus driver from the Mettupalayam branch-1 had the floor of his branch manager’s office cleaned with cow dung after the manager’s transfer. The reason behind this despicable act is said to be the manager’s Scheduled Caste (SC) background. According to a report by the New Indian Express, after the incident came to light, senior officials of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) took swift action and suspended the accused driver, S. Sashiraj. Sashiraj is also the secretary of the transport corporation’s ‘LPF’ union. What is the whole matter? The incident took place on January 23. The then branch manager of the Mettupalayam branch, D. Prakashkumar, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste, was recently transferred to Ukkadam. It is alleged that immediately after his departure, Sashiraj had the office floor smeared with cow dung through a cleaner. According to eyewitnesses, the driver made derogatory remarks, saying that “the dirt (referring to the manager) has been cleaned from the branch.” Surprisingly, all this happened in front of Prakashkumar, who is deeply shocked and has not returned to work since then. Serious allegations of bullying and discrimination Sources in the transport corporation have made several serious revelations about Sashiraj’s working methods. While holding the post of Traffic Controller, Sashiraj allegedly assigned long and difficult routes to Scheduled Caste employees, while allocating shorter and more comfortable routes to people from his own community. It is alleged that he extorted money from employees for granting leave and preferred duties. Due to his political influence, he also disregarded the orders of the branch managers. In the last one and a half years, six branch managers have been transferred because of his actions. Reason for the conflict The current manager, D. Prakashkumar, had refused to comply with Shashi Raj’s arbitrary demands and had also issued him a memo for engaging in caste-based discrimination. Angered by this, Shashi Raj allegedly exerted pressure on higher officials, resulting in Prakashkumar’s transfer without any valid reason. The accused’s defense On the other hand, the suspended driver, Shashi Raj, has completely denied all these allegations. He claims that the accusations against him are politically motivated and false. Shashi Raj argued that he was merely maintaining the cleanliness of the office and that the room was cleaned that day as part of routine maintenance because it was dirty. TNSTC’s Coimbatore regional officials have confirmed that an internal inquiry into the matter has been initiated. The driver will remain suspended until the inquiry report is submitted. This incident has once again brought the deeply entrenched casteist mentality within government departments to the forefront of public debate. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
30 yrs on, man accused of attemptto rape of Dalit girl gets 5 yrs in jail
Agra: A special SC/ST court in Firozabad has sentenced a convict, now 60, to five years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 14,000 in a case dating back over three decades, involving the attempt to rape of an 11-year-old Dalit girl. “The incident took place on May 6, 1995. The case remained pending in court. Now, under ‘Operation Conviction’, police traced the girl (now 41, married and settled in another district) and produced her before the court for testimony. Also, retired police personnel who were witnesses in that case were identified and located,” Narendra Solanki, additional district govt counsel, told TOI. The ADGC added: “After examining all witnesses and evidence, the court of additional district judge, Navneet Kumar Giri, on Wednesday finally held the accused man guilty and sentenced him to five years’ jail. The court also stated that half the fine amount should be given to the victim.” After the court’s verdict, the convict was taken into custody and sent back to jail. Meanwhile, police in Firozabad, in its statement, stated, “The victim was only 11 years old at the time of the incident. Through tireless efforts, she was located. There were a total of four police officers who were witnesses in this case, all of whom retired (on pension) over time. Their testimonies provided a logical and strong basis for the case.” In 1995, after receiving a complaint by the girl’s father, an FIR was registered under IPC section and the SC/ST Act. The accused was arrested and sent to jail. He later got bail. Police then submitted a chargesheet in court. In the complaint, the father had stated, “The accused forcibly took away our daughter while she was asleep. He grabbed her and attempted to rape her. When she screamed out aloud, he thrashed her, repeatedly. Villagers came out and identified the man, before he managed to flee.” Notably, ‘Operation Conviction’ was initiated by UP Police to deliver swift and time-bound justice in serious criminal cases, particularly against hardened criminals. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Refusal to see caste discrimination, not ‘false complaints’, is the real crisis on campus
Little will change until institutes recognise the experiences of Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students. An Indian student during a protest rally against the government’s recommendation for 50% reservation for backward classes in education and government jobs, in this photograph from Bengaluru in May 2006. The University Grants Commission’s updated rules to address caste discrimination in higher education institutes have sparked outrage among Savarna commentators and students. They claim that they will become victims of false complaints and that the provisions will be weaponised against them. But this reflects a continuing refusal to listen to experiences of caste discrimination on campuses, something I have witnessed closely since 2022 when I became the first elected student representative of the Equal Opportunity Cell at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. As part of student committees and through my research on caste injustice, I have seen how the claim that Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students misuse guidelines against general category students is invoked when a caste discrimination complaint is filed. This negative framing favours the student or professor accused of casteism and rarely accounts for the humiliation or insensitive behaviour faced by the student making the complaint. Over the past few days, Savarna students have framed themselves as potential victims of the UGC rules, issued on January 13, recentering the issue of casteist discrimination around their anxieties. On January 29, the Supreme Court stayed the new rules after hearing a public interest litigation which claimed that the guidelines were vague and could be misused. Akhil Kang, a queer Dalit scholar who has extensively written about “upper-caste victimhood”, argues that claims of upper-caste victimhood are not about actual harm. Instead, they are about preserving moral innocence in the face of caste accountability. Illustrating Kang’s observation, upper-caste students are floating hypothetical situations in which they could be victimised by the UGC guidelines. For example, one Instagram post claims that a general category female student is now afraid of being accused of caste discrimination if she rejects the advances of a male student from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe category. Such claims displace attention from the everyday experiences of discrimination of Dalit and Adivasi students, who remain unacknowledged in classrooms and are rendered invisible on campuses where merit is routinely read through caste. Caste on campus As part of a meeting called by the National Task Force set up by the Supreme Court on January 12, I highlighted three crucial observations based on my experience of observing casteism on campus. The meeting was attended by anti-caste intellectuals, academics, activists and student representatives from universities in Delhi. First, caste is seemingly invisible and so it is difficult to prove that it exists. But the discriminatory effects of caste are primarily experienced by Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students. For example, a professor may make a student wait outside their office hours every day just to address one concern or speak to them. The student could wait for days on end, often feeling humiliated. But this will not be recognised as “casteism”. This same professor could ask about the student’s rank in the entrance exam – using the phrase “hawa kya hai?”, or what’s the AIR, or all India rank. Ambedkarite student collectives across the IITs have stressed that asking a student’s rank should be counted as caste discrimination. Rank indicates whether a student was admitted in the general or Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students. The student might then be labelled incompetent and underperforming, and the professor could suggest that they be expelled from IIT Delhi for not being meritorious. The student could find their admission and place at the institute being attacked and so end up writing to the administration and Equal Opportunity Cell, or SC/ST cell, seeking legal recourse. The Equal Opportunity Cell registers the student’s complaint, and thereafter, a committee is set up to inquire into caste discrimination. This illustrates how faculty and resource persons in an institution refuse to listen to a student who feels neglected or socially excluded. Congress workers protest against the death by suicide of doctoral scholar Rohith Vemula, in this photograph from January 2016. Credit: AFP. Second, caste reveals itself through networks and support systems. A general category student might instantly feel a sense of belonging in the classroom while a Dalit, Adivasi or OBC student may continuously invest energy in proving or defending their merit. As a student representative, I have observed that the network of Savarna scholars does not easily offer support to Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students and often has preconceived notions about who is meritorious or deserving. Savarna students travel easily through these networks, receiving guidance on scholarships abroad, building academic connections, seeking funding and finding opportunities to get published. But Dalit students have to hustle merely to get signatures on recommendation letters. Even if students have got admission on merit, they are always made to feel inadequate. “No matter how I perform, I feel invisible in the classroom,” a Dalit BTech student told me off the record on campus. “The Savarna professor never acknowledges my greeting.” Such an environment attacks the confidence of Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students. The demoralisation shows itself in lesser grades, poor progress reports and lonely or isolated students in campus spaces. It is a challenge to define this experience of being made to feel invisible, but what can be defined are broader actions – the implicit or explicit bias on the campus. Many Dalit and Adivasi scholars report feeling depressed, which I believe is a result of an uncaring institutional structure that does not provide motivation, appreciation nor respond to their efforts properly. In 2022, I emailed the IIT-Delhi mental health team asking why caste-based trauma was missing from the counselling options of gender, LGBTQ+, violence, relationship problems and campus problems. It was aimed at making the institute recognise the reality of the trauma of caste. IIT-Delhi positively implemented this, by adding “caste-based trauma” as an option on its YourDost website, which provides counselling to enrolled students. The third observation was the
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka lead list of Dalit, tribal & OBC judges in lower courts
SCs, STs and OBCs make up 45.7% of district court judges in the country; south India leads New Delhi: The district and subordinate courts in the country have 14.15% Dalits, 5.12% tribals and 26.64% OBCs as judges, with statistics showing that diversity among them is higher in south India with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka leading the spot compared to the rest of the count It showed that the lower judiciary is more representative compared to the High Courts where appointments since 2018 showed only 3.89% of 847 judges were Dalits, 2% tribals and 12.27% OBCs. These statistics were provided by Law Minister Arjun Meghwal in a written reply to senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha. States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have impressive representation in lower courts while the statistics placed in Parliament showed “zero” SC, ST and OBC judges in lower courts in West Bengal and Andaman Nicobar Islands. According to the statistics, 45.76% or 9,534 – Civil Judge (Junior Division), Civil Judge (Senior Division) and District Judge – of 20,833 judges in district and subordinate courts are from SC, ST and OBC communities as on January 21. Of this, 14.15% (2,949) are SCs, 5.12% (1,068) STs and 26.64% (5,517) are OBCs. Among the big States, Tamil Nadu has 97.65% (1,205 of 1,234) from these categories – SC 20.66% (255), ST 1.21% (15) and OBCs 75.76% (935). SCs, STs and OBCs accounted for 88.82% (996) of 1129 district and subordinate court judges in Karnataka. Dalit judges numbered 226 (20.01%) and 47 (4.16%) were tribals while OBCs accounted for 733 (64.92%). Other south Indian States – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala – also fared well in representation in lower judiciary. The OBC judges in Kerala accounted for 50.60% while Dalits accounted for 7.45% and 0.69% tribals while Andhra’s count were 38.98%, 18.88% and 5.59% and Telangana 44.71%, 15.28% and 8.98%, respectively. Overall, Uttar Pradesh has 53.56% or 1,414 of 2,640 judges belonging to the three communities – Dalits accounted for 20.22% (534), 1.43% tribals (38) and 31.89% (842) OBCs. Bihar has 253 or 20.01% Dalit judges in district and subordinate courts while the figures for tribals was 0.84% (14) and 28.76% (479) OBCs. Overall, 44.8% or 746 of 1,665 judges in Bihar districts belonged to SCs, STs and OBCs. While only those persons who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, the state governments in consultation with the respective High Courts frame the rules and regulations regarding appointment and recruitment of judicial officers in the respective State Judicial Service. Judges in districts and representation – State | Scheduled Caste% | Scheduled Tribe% | OBC% Tamil Nadu / 20.66 / 1.21 / 75.76 Karnataka / 20.01 /4.16 / 64.92 Kerala / 7.45 / 0.69 / 50.60 Andhra Pradesh / 18.88 / 5.59 / 38.98 Telangana / 15.28 / 8.98 / 44.71 Uttar Pradesh / 20.22 / 1.43 / 31.89 Bihar / 15.19 / 0.84 / 28.76 Maharashtra / 11.70 / 0.36 / 25.77 Madhya Pradesh / 16.04 / 14.15 / 18.79 Overall / 14.15 / 5.12 / 26.64 Shemin Joy DHNS Courtesy : DH Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanherald.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
A Padma Shri & a visit by PM Modi: What’s behind BJP’s Dera Ballan outreach in Punjab
The visit is seen as a targeted strategy by the BJP to woo Dalit voters, particularly the Ravidasias and Ad-Dharmis, who often play a key role in close electoral battles in Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan on February 1 for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. This is a strategic move by the BJP to attract Punjab’s significant Dalit voters, particularly the Ravidasias, ahead of next year’s Assembly polls. The visit aims to leverage identity recognition and secure support from this crucial demographic. *AI-generated summary. Check context in original text. Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan near Jalandhar on 1 February on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, a move seen as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) political outreach in the state to woo Dalit voters ahead of next year’s Assembly polls. The visit comes within days of the dera head, Niranjan Dass, being honoured with the Padma Shri. In December, the dera head, along with senior party leaders, met Modi and invited him for Gurpurab celebrations on 1 February. The dera head also requested the prime minister to centrally organise countrywide celebrations to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas next year. With one year to go for the assembly polls in the state, experts see the prime minister’s visit as a more targeted strategy to reach out to specific caste communities that hold the key in closely contested electoral battles, particularly the Ravidasias and Ad-Dharmis, who constitute the largest subgroup among the Dalits in Punjab. “Ravidasias and other Dalit voters do not vote en bloc for a single party; they often shift depending on local issues, candidates and coalitions. The overt reaching out to the Ravidasia dera is strategically significant for the BJP,” says Dr Kanwalpreet Kaur of the department of political science, DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh. “The Ravidasias have been demanding recognition as an independent community, and the BJP intends to do just that—leverage identity recognition, aligning with the community’s demands for national visibility and respect for its spiritual leadership,” she added. ThePrint explains the significance of the prime minister’s visit to the central institution of the Ravidassia sect in the state. Also Read: BJP’s Ravidas Jayanti push to woo Dalits in poll-bound states — shobha yatras, sant sammelans BJP’s bid for a slice of the pie The BJP, once a junior partner of the Akali Dal, has been trying to build an independent electoral footprint in Punjab after the SAD-BJP alliance ended in 2020 over the contentious farm laws brought in by the BJP-led centre. The BJP’s strategy in the state has been successful enough for it to improve its vote share from 6.60 percent in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections to 18.56 percent in the 2024 parliamentary elections, cutting into the vote share of the AAP and the Congress. In the past year, the party has focused on increasing its foothold in rural areas dominated by Sikh peasantry. Dalits constitute almost 32 percent of Punjab’s population, the highest in the country. However, the Dalits are divided among Sikhs, Hindus and Christians, many of whom also follow deras. Deras, widespread on Punjab, are socio-religious centres of various sects and organisations. Unlike Sikh gurudwaras, where the Guru Granth Sahib is considered a living guru, derad are generally led by a living guru with a personal following. Dera Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Dera Sacha Sauda (headquartered in Sirsa) and Dera Sachkhand Ballan are the three most followed deras in Punjab, commanding a following running into several lakhs. Among the Dalits, the Ravidasias, Ramdasias and Ad-Dharmis are the major sub-groups, concentrated in the Doaba region districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar and Phagwara. According to Dalit studies expert Ronki Ram of Panjab University in Chandigarh, the Ravidasias are the most prominent Dalit community in Punjab. “Out of the 39 SC castes in Punjab, the four major castes of Chamar (23.45 percent), Ad-dharmi (11.48 percent), Balmiki (9.78 percent) and Mazhabi (29.72 percent) constitute 74.44 percent of the total SC population,” he said. “Chamars are further divided into Ravidasias (leather workers) and Ramdasias (weavers). The Ravidasias are the most prominent for several reasons. They utilised the availability of reservation in education well, and are the most upwardly mobile. Many went abroad and constitute a large section of the NRIs from Doaba,” he added. As a result, Ronki Ram said, they have “become financially well-to-do”. “They have invested in Guru Ravidas deras and now have substantial social capital. They are also networked and, as a community, enjoy political clout,” he added. Guru Ravidas The Ravidasia identity is rooted in the teachings of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century Bhakti saint and social reformer of the Chamar caste whose egalitarian message resonates with Dalit communities. “Ravidas was born into the Chamar caste, also known as Kutbandhla, one of the Scheduled Castes (SC) in Uttar Pradesh. Chamars are known by their profession of leather and tanning. They were oppressed and their touch and sight were considered polluting by the upper castes. Ravidas revolted against this inhuman system of untouchability. He adopted bhakti as a mode of expression for his revolt,” said Ronki Ram, quoting from his research paper. Guru Ravidas’s poetic hymns are also included in the holy text of the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a living Guru by Sikhs. “Ravidas holds a special place in the heart of Dalits, as he was one who unleashed a frontal attack on the traditional practice of caste-based social exclusion and oppression. Belonging to one of the lowest castes, his iconic figure continues to act as a catalyst in the emergence of a separate Dalit identity in Punjab,” said Ronki Ram. “Ravidas, as a spiritual figure who Omvedt (Gail Omvedt, an American sociologist) boldly called ‘the bhakti radical’, commands a massive following among his caste fellows, especially the Chamars in Punjab, who consider him their guru. They have built temples, gurdwaras, bhawans (memorial halls), educational institutions/ chairs, cultural organisations and hospitals in his name all over
Elderly Dalit Woman Cremated on Road in Bihar After Family Barred from Village Cremation Ground
An elderly Dalit woman was cremated on a public road in Bihar’s Vaishali district after her family was allegedly stopped from accessing the village cremation ground, triggering outrage and tension in the area. The incident took place on Thursday at Sontho Andhari village under the Goraul police station limits. The woman, identified as Jhapki Devi, 95, belonged to a Mahadalit family. According to locals and police, when her family tried to take her body to the cremation ground, some people blocked the route, leaving the family with no option but to perform the last rites on the road. Family members and residents said the obstruction has been a long-standing issue. “Every time we take a body for cremation, the way is blocked. This has happened earlier too, but no permanent solution was given,” said a local resident from Manjhi Tola, expressing anger over repeated denial of access. As tensions rose, the funeral procession stopped at Andhari Gachi Chowk, where the body was placed on a pyre in front of a Shiva temple and cremated on the road. Angry villagers alleged that the pathway from the main road to the cremation ground has been encroached upon by local landowners. Police and administrative officials later reached the spot. A fire brigade vehicle was called to extinguish the pyre, and the road was cleaned after the cremation. Public representatives who arrived at the scene were reportedly chased away by protesting villagers, who accused the administration of ignoring their complaints for years. Vaishali Superintendent of Police Vikram Sihag said the issue arose due to the absence of a clear path. “Earlier, there was a route to the cremation ground, but some people built a temple on that path. Due to the lack of access, the family carried out the cremation on the road,” he said. He added that discussions were held with local officials and that arrangements would be made to restore access to the cremation ground. “The situation is currently under control,” the SP said. Block Development Officer Pankaj Kumar Nigam and Circle Officer Divya Chanchal said the area has been cleared and the matter is being investigated. “All aspects will be examined, and steps will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” they said. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit laborer dies in Saharanpur after under-construction roof collapses: Married a year ago, pregnant wife left without support
A laborer died on the spot when the roof of an under-construction house collapsed in the Kutubsher police station area of Saharanpur. The deceased has been identified as 21-year-old Nitin, son of Ramesh, a resident of Igrikala village. Nitin had gone to Rupdi Kapurpur village for work. The incident occurred on Wednesday when Nitin was demolishing the old roof of the house while working. Suddenly, the entire roof collapsed, and Nitin was buried under the debris. People nearby tried to rescue him, but he had already died. The news of the incident plunged the deceased’s family into mourning. Upon receiving the information, police and administrative officials reached the spot and assessed the situation. Following the accident, the administration immediately convened a meeting to address potential tensions between the two villages. After mutual discussions, an agreement was reached on the funeral and other related issues, maintaining peace in the area. The deceased, Nitin, had been married for about a year. His wife is approximately eight months pregnant. This incident has deeply affected the family, as Nitin was the sole breadwinner. Upon learning of the incident, BSP District President Rajneesh Bandhu, ASPA District President Sachin Khurana, Bhim Army Jai Bhim organization’s District President Sunny Gautam, and several other office bearers of social organizations reached the spot. These office bearers and socially responsible individuals like Rajneesh Ujala, Asif Ali, Beer Singh, Sukhbir Pradhan, Harshit Pradhan, and Narendra Gautam consoled the family. Immediate financial assistance was provided by the authorities, and further assistance from the government level was assured. In the presence of socially responsible people, the family declined any legal action and took the body with them. The young man’s last rites will be performed this afternoon. Tariq Siddiqui | Saharanpur Courtesy: Hindi News
SC Commission chairman urges swift action on Dalit welfare schemes
Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Commission chairman K.S. Jawahar on Wednesday appealed to the officials to implement the welfare schemes meant for Scheduled Castes without delay. During interactions with Dalit leaders Mr. Jawahar received grievances on various issues before reviewing the implementation of the welfare schemes with officials. District In-Charge Collector Y. Megha Swaroop, East Godavari Superintendent of Police D. Narasimha Kishore assured timely action to execute the respective schemes and programmes of the government. The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights