3-Time MLA And Dalit Face Vinay Kumar Is New Himachal Congress Chief
Vinay Kumar has been elected MLA from the Renuka constituency for the third consecutive time. Shimla: Ending the uncertainty that prevailed since the previous committee was dissolved on November 6 last year, Congress on Saturday appointed three-time MLA and senior party leader Vinay Kumar as the new President of its Himachal Pradesh unit. A statement in this regard was issued by AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal. The statement issued on Saturday mentioned that the party President, Mallikarjun Kharge, has appointed Vinay Kumar as the “President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect”. A prominent Dalit face of the party, Kumar was the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and tendered his resignation from the post, which was accepted by Speaker Kuldeep Pathania. The resignation was seen as a step towards his formal announcement as the state Congress party president. It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu had already advocated for a Dalit-affiliated party president. Party National President Mallikarjun Kharge also agreed with Vinay Kumar’s name. Vinay Kumar has been elected MLA from the Renuka constituency for the third consecutive time. Vinay Kumar was elected Deputy Speaker of the Assembly after the 2022 elections. With his position now becoming vacant, the names of Bhoranj MLA Suresh Kumar, Palampur MLA Ashish Butail, and Kasauli MLA KD Sultanpuri are being considered for the post. In an effort to rejuvenate the Congress organisation in Himachal Pradesh and strengthen its grassroots presence, the party dissolved its state, district, and block executive committees on November 6 of last year. The party’s top leadership initiated this organisational restructuring to address upcoming political challenges and to create a new structure that includes dedicated and influential party workers. This move was based on a proposal by then State President Pratibha Singh, which received approval from Kharge. Following this, KC Venugopal issued a letter on November 6, 2024, officially dissolving all executive committees except for the Congress President. Pratibha was asked to continue till further orders. Courtesy : ETV Bharat Note: This news is originally published on https:/etvbharat.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Himachal: Organizations took to the streets in Nahan against Dalit oppression, submitted a 12-point memorandum to the Chief Minister.
The 12-point demands, including the investigation of pending cases under the SC/ST Act, the arrest of the culprits, and the formation of a clean-up commission, were submitted to the Chief Minister. Nahan (Sirmaur). Dalit organizations held a strong protest in Nahan on Monday against the increasing atrocities, discrimination, and rights violations against the Dalit community in Himachal Pradesh. Representatives from more than eight organizations, united under the banner of the “Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch,” held a protest rally and presented their demands to the state government. The protest began at the Hindu Ashram in Nahan and passed through various parts of the city, culminating at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office. Here, the protesters, led by the forum’s state convener, Ashish Kumar, submitted a 12-point memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner. Anger over recent incidents Prior to the rally, a joint convention of various Dalit organizations was held at the Hindu Ashram. Ashish Kumar inaugurated the convention, while Satpal Mann moderated the forum. In his address, Ashish Kumar stated that incidents of atrocities against Dalits have increased in the state in recent times. He specifically mentioned the suspicious death of Dalit student Sikandar in Rohru and the fatal attack and death of a Dalit woman in Sainj, Kullu. He stated that these incidents have created deep resentment within the Dalit community across the state. Formation of a New Committee During the convention, a 31-member committee was also formed to formulate future strategies and strengthen the organization. Rajesh Tomar was unanimously elected as the convener, and Vijay Chauriya, Prasan Tomar, and Praveen Sodha were elected co-conveners. Key Demands Included in the Memorandum The memorandum sent to the Chief Minister includes several important demands related to the safety and rights of the Dalit community. The forum’s key demands are: Justice and Law: Pending cases registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be investigated in a timely and impartial manner, and the culprits should be immediately arrested. Reservation and Funds: An SC/ST Development Fund Act should be enacted in the state, modeled after Telangana, and the 85th Constitutional Amendment should be fully implemented. The reservation roster should be strictly followed in new recruitments. Victim Relief: Immediate financial assistance should be provided to families affected by harassment. Education: Timely payment of scholarships to Dalit students should be ensured. Monitoring: A state-level monitoring committee should be formed to investigate discrimination in government and educational institutions. Budget: The budget allocated for SC/ST welfare schemes should be utilized 100%, and a public report should be released. Sanitation Workers: Sanitation workers should be regularized in the state, the contract system should be abolished, and a ‘Sanitation Commission’ should be established in Himachal Pradesh, modeled after Delhi, Punjab, and Karnataka. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Stricter measures demanded against untouchability, caste discrimination
The Shoshan Mukti Manch today staged a massive protest outside the premises of Deputy Commissioner’s office against atrocities on the Dalit community, especially rising cases of rapes and murders. The manch demanded that the state government should opt stricter measures to stop untouchability, caste-based discrimination and oppression of Dalits as well as crime against them. Through the Deputy Commissioner, the manch submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding an end to social evils, while highlighting the issues and demands of the Dalit community. During the protest, Jagat Ram, state co-convener of the manch, alleged that the state was witnessing a significant rise in incidents of untouchability, caste-based discrimination, assaults on Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, rapes and murders over the past few months. He said in Rohru, a 12-year-old Dalit boy identified as Sikander, was subjected to such an extreme harassment that he was compelled to die by suicide. Also, in one of the schools in Rohru, a Dalit student was stripped naked by a teacher, and beaten and tortured with a stinging nettle. Similarly, in Kullu district’s Sainj Valley, a woman was brutally gang-raped and murdered, he said. During the Kullu Dussehra festival, a government officer was assaulted and humiliated, an incident that brought shame to the entire state, he said. “Cases of physical violence and rape of women by politically influential individuals and their families are on the rise. In Hamirpur, an attempt was made to rape a woman. She was attacked violently, leading to her death in the hospital,” he said. Jagat Ram further stated that the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation adopted by the state government were rapidly affecting both the nation and the state. “These policies are resulting in attacks on the rights of the common people and withdrawal of their essential facilities, creating widespread public anger. To divert attention from real issues and retain power, the ruling side is inciting divisions among people on the basis of caste and religion,” he claimed. Article_Author Tribune News Service Courtesy : The Tribune Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribune.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
In HP: Dalit Child Beaten, Tortured with ‘Bicchu Booti’ by School Teacher
An FIR has been lodged against the teacher at the Government Primary School, Bhaloon, under the relevant sections of the BNS and SC/ST (POA) Act for inflicting severe corporal punishment on a Class One student. A school teacher gave corporal punishment to an eight-year-old Dalit boy in Rohru, barely 110 km from Shimla, the state capital. The teacher tortured the minor Dalit boy using stinging nettle, commonly called bicchu booti—a Himalayan plant known for causing itching and burning sensations from its touch. Director of Elementary Education Ashish Kohli confirmed that the police have booked the teachers accused in both incidents, one of which involves a Dalit boy, occurring in the same area. After a horrifying video of a schoolteacher torturing a student with stinging nettle, commonly called bicchu booti—a Himalayan plant known for causing itching and burning sensations from its touch—yet another case of corporal punishment of an eight-year-old Dalit boy has come to light in Rohru, barely 110 km from Shimla, the state capital. Director of Elementary Education Ashish Kohli confirmed that the police have booked the teachers accused in both incidents, one of which involves a Dalit boy, occurring in the same area. “Also, an inquiry has been ordered in both cases, after the matter reached the government. It’s a serious case of indiscipline and gross violation of Section 17 of the Right to Education Act, 2009. “The guilty will not be spared,” he declared. A third incident of came to light on November 5, wherein a Class IV boy was assaulted by his teacher. In the last two weeks, there have been three reported instances of violent thrashing of a student in Himachal Pradesh. Further, an FIR has also been lodged against the teacher at the Government Primary School, Bhaloon, under the relevant sections of the BNS and SC/ST (POA) Act for inflicting severe corporal punishment on a Class 1 student. As per the written complaint submitted by the child’s father, Durga Singh, the teacher named Nitish Thakur allegedly assaulted his minor son at school so brutally that the boy began bleeding from his ear. He also has suffered partial hearing loss. “Not only this, but the teacher crossed all limits and went to the extent of inserting stinging nettle into the child’s pants. This left the child in unbearable pain, discomfort due to a burning sensation, and humiliation,” he alleged. What is far more serious, said the aggrieved father, is that the accused teacher was not even serving the school or had not been engaged by the school authorities. He was coming to the school to drop off his wife, a part-time water carrier and had started teaching voluntarily. “The accused has also been accused of openly indulging in untouchability in the school and resorted to caste discrimination by making a separate place for the upper caste children and Dalits for the midday meal”, Ashish Kohli says, quoting contents of the complaint. The school head teacher, rather than taking action against the accused, attempted to protect him and threatened to expel the victim (the boy) if he dared to report the incident or file any complaints. The head teacher, accompanied by another staff member, visited the victim’s family and asked them not to approach the police or the sub-divisional authorities at Rohru; instead, try to suppress the matter, otherwise the child will be expelled from the school. Kohli said the departmental action has been initiated in the case of the Dalit boy, as also in the other case of a teacher torturing the boy in another school in the same area. “From time to time, we keep reiterating instructions about not using any kind of corporal punishment method against the students during teaching or otherwise. One good thing happening these days is the use of social media to highlight such incidents, which attracts our immediate attention and also action. There is zero tolerance in such cases,” said the Director of Elementary Education. Meanwhile, Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch—an organisation working for the rights of the Dalits—has demanded the arrest of the accused and asked the state’s education department to take action against the water carrier, who has allegedly been sending her husband to teach at the school. The Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO), Yashwant Khimta, has also visited the school since then and initiated a departmental probe. He confirmed that owing to a shortage of teaching staff, the School Management Committee (SMC), with mutual consent, had permitted Nitish to assist at the school voluntarily, without any remuneration. His wife is employed at the same school as a water carrier. Khimta stated that a detailed report of the inquiry has been submitted to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDM), Rohru, for further action. The Deputy SP of Rohru, Pranav Chauhan, said the matter is under investigation. Statements of the child’s parents are being recorded, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Rohru has been informed about the action. Education Minister Rohit Thakur has expressed deep concern over the recent incidents of corporal punishment and other complaints emerging from government schools in remote areas. “We will ensure that strict action is taken so that such incidents do not recur in the future. I have also noted with concern reports of caste-based discrimination. This has no place in our schools or society. The government is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every child,” he said. Ashwani Sharma 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
Shimla: Teachers Booked for Assaulting Dalit Boy, Putting Scorpion in His Pants
Three teachers, including the headmaster of a government school in Shimla’s Rohru sub-division, face charges under the SC/ST Act and Juvenile Justice Act for allegedly torturing an eight-year-old Dalit student Three teachers of a government school in Shimla, including the headmaster, have been booked for repeatedly assaulting an eight-year-old Dalit boy and placing a scorpion in his pants, police said on Sunday. In a police complaint, the father of the boy – a Class 1 student of Government Primary School at Khaddapani area in Rohru sub-division of Shimla district – accused headmaster Devendra and teachers Babu Ram and Kritika Thakur of frequently physically assaulting his son for almost a year.The complainant said that continuous beating caused the child’s ear to bleed and damaged his eardrum. He also said the teachers took his son to the school’s toilet, where they placed a scorpion in his pants. Following the complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (criminal acts in furtherance of a common intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and for cruelty towards a child under the Juvenile Justice Act. The teachers have also been charged under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act pertaining to forcibly removing clothes or similar acts derogatory to human dignity, and crimes against a member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. A communication is being sent to seniors for directions on whether the investigation is to be conducted by a gazetted officer, police said.According to the father, the teachers intimidated the boy, telling him that if he complained at home, they would have him arrested. He said that on October 30, the headmaster allegedly threatened to expel the child from the school. He said the complainant’s family would face severe consequences if the matter was made public and threatened them by saying, “We will burn you.” The boy’s father was also warned not to lodge a police complaint or post about the incident on social media, or he would have to “wash his hands of life.” The complainant also alleged that Kritika Thakur’s husband, Nitish Thakur, has been illegally teaching students at the school in her place for the last one year. He also alleged caste-based discrimination by teachers at the school. Nepali and Harijan students were made to sit separately from Rajput students during meals, he said. This is not the first incident of teachers assaulting students or caste discrimination in Rohru. Last week, a teacher at Government Primary School in Gawana area of Rohru was suspended for beating a student with a prickly bush. Earlier, a 12-year-old Dalit boy allegedly committed suicide at Limda village in Rohru after some upper-caste women locked him up inside a cowshed for entering their house. Courtesy : DC Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanchronicle.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Inhuman atrocities on Dalit students in Himachal Pradesh, Prakash Ambedkar’s anger
Mumbai – A deplorable incident of inhuman and caste discrimination by the headmaster and two teachers of an eight-year-old Dalit student of a government school under Congress rule in Himachal Pradesh has come to light. This incident has created an outcry across the country. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi Chief Adv. Prakash Ambedkar has directly targeted the ruling party by registering a strong protest against the incident. Shocking information about atrocities According to the information, the victim student belonged to the Dalit community and was repeatedly subjected to derogatory remarks in school. He was constantly subjected to physical and mental torture by the headmaster and both teachers. In one incident of beating, blood started flowing from the student’s ears. Tyahoon inhuman type means – The accused teacher kept a live snake in the boy’s pants. Apart from this, another shocking allegation has been made that Nepali and Dalit students are kept separate from upper caste students in schools. This decline has once again exposed the ugly face of caste discrimination in the education sector. “The rulers change, but the pain of the Dalits remains” – Or giving a negative reaction ad. Prakash Ambedkar said, “BJP and Congress both wear different masks, but serve the caste system secretly. They trade the honor of Dalits for votes. They shout at each other, but their complicity in Dalit atrocities is obvious.” He further said, “The rulers change, but the pain of the Dalits continues. There is a need for Dalit society to accept the new path adopted by Baba Saheb and create a political alternative for itself.” Justice’s demand and expectation of action A demand has been made by the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi to immediately investigate the matter and take strict action against the culprits. Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident appears to be underway by the local administration. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘They Put a Scorpion in His Pants’: 8-Year-Old Dalit Boy in Shimla District Subjected to Abuse by Teachers
An eight-year-old Dalit boy in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district was allegedly subjected to repeated caste-based harassment and physical assault by his school’s headmaster and two teachers, including an incident where they reportedly placed a scorpion inside his pants, police said on Sunday. The accused, headmaster Devendra and teachers Babu Ram and Kritika Thakur, have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Juvenile Justice Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the complaint filed by the child’s father, the abuse had been ongoing for nearly a year at the Government Primary School in Khaddapani, under Rohru subdivision. He alleged that his son was regularly beaten, once so severely that his ear bled and his eardrum was damaged. In one horrifying instance, the teachers allegedly took the child to a toilet and placed a scorpion inside his pants. The father also accused the headmaster of threatening to expel his son and warning the family against approaching the police. “They told us not to file a complaint or post about the incident on social media, or we would lose our lives,” he said. The father further claimed that the school practised caste-based segregation, forcing Nepali and Dalit (Harijan) students to sit separately from Rajput students during meals. Local reports suggest this is not an isolated case in Rohru. Just last week, a teacher in Gawana area was suspended for beating a student with a prickly bush. Earlier this month, a 12-year-old Dalit boy in Limda village reportedly died by suicide after being locked inside a cowshed by upper-caste women for entering their house. Police have begun investigating the case. Officials said statements from the child and witnesses are being recorded, and medical examination reports are awaited. 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
Woman held over Dalit boy’s death
The case triggered outrage across the state. Many condemned the caste-based discrimination, while some claimed the boy had a habit of stealing. The woman said she had caught him stealing from her shop, but the boy’s family denied the allegation. After her surrender plea was rejected, police arrested a woman late on Wednesday night for allegedly beating and abetting the suicide of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in Limbra village, Chirgaon. She was produced in court on Thursday and sent to three-day police custody. Rohru DSP Pranav Chauhan said a case had been registered under Sections 107 (abetment of suicide of a child), 127 (wrongful confinement), and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. He said further investigation was underway. On September 16, a Dalit boy allegedly consumed poison after being beaten and locked in a cowshed by the accused woman for touching her house. He was taken to IGMC, where he died the next day. Following his death, the boy’s parents approached the police, demanding her arrest. The woman later sought anticipatory bail, which the court rejected. The case triggered outrage across the state. Many condemned the caste-based discrimination, while some claimed the boy had a habit of stealing. The woman said she had caught him stealing from her shop, but the boy’s family denied the allegation. The Scheduled Caste Commission expressed dissatisfaction with the police probe and ordered the suspension of ASI Manjeet, the Investigating Officer in tge case. The Commission also sought an explanation from the DSP. Commission chairman Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman accused the police of not taking the case seriously. He said the FIR was filed on September 20, but the SC/ST Act sections were not added initially, which was a serious lapse on the part of the police and caused unnecessary delay in justice. He added that the victim’s family had clearly mentioned in their complaint that the accused called their child “untouchable” and demanded a goat to “purify” her house. “Despite this, a case under SC/ST Act was not registered by the police at that time and were only applied later,” Dhiman said. He further said the Commission had asked the Rohru DSP to submit a report within three days, but it was delayed and reached only on October 14. Courtesy : NAI Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsarenaindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
ASI suspended over Dalit boy’s death probe
He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. The Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Commission has ordered the suspension of ASI Manjeet Singh for conducting a poor investigation into the death of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in the Rohru sub-division, Shimla district. Manjeet was the investigating officer in the case. The panel also found the work of DSP Rohru unsatisfactory and has sought an explanation from him. “The police investigation into the case has not been found satisfactory. The investigation has been hampered by the police’s laxity in the initial investigation,” said Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, chairman of the panel. He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. Unhappy with the investigation, Dhiman stated several lapses in the police work. “When the FIR was initially filed on September 20, the case was not registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It was only when the matter reached the High Court, the case was registered under the provisions of the Act. Despite this, the police failed to arrest the accused woman,” Dhiman said. He added that the commission had directed DSP Rohru to submit a report within three days on October 1, but the officer failed to do so in time. “The commission received the report from the DGP’s office on October 14. The local police have been lax in complying with the commission’s orders,” Dhiman said. He added that the victim’s family has been provided financial aid of Rs 4,12,500 from the government through the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Courtesy : NAI Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsarenaindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit boy’s suicide: HC rejects pre-arrest bail to Rohru woman; says prima facie reading of case shows she gave beatings to deceased
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Tuesday dismissed the pre-arrest bail petition of the woman who is accused of abetting the suicide of 12-year-old Dalit boy of her village by allegedly confining him wrongfully and assaulting him. The upper-caste woman, Pushpa Devi (50), is from Limbra village in the Rohru sub-division of Shimla district. She is facing charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and for wrongful confinement, assault, and abetment to suicide. Dismissing the petition as not maintainable, the bench headed by Justice Rakesh Kainthla held, “A prima facie reading of the status report and FIR shows that the accused gave beatings to the deceased (a member of the scheduled caste) and confined him to the cowshed because the deceased happened to touch the house of the accused, and she wanted a sacrificial goat for purification.” The deceased boy belonged to the Koli community. The court underlined that this offence was committed by the accused because of the caste of the deceased and would not have been committed if the deceased had not been a member of the scheduled caste. Justice Kainthla held that it was not possible to conclude, at this stage, that the petitioner had not, prima facie, committed an offence punishable under Section 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. The court also upheld the objection taken by additional advocate general Jitender Sharma that the pre-arrest bail petition is not maintainable in view of the bar contained in Section 18 of the SC and ST Act. The case has sparked outrage, highlighting ongoing caste-based discrimination and abuse especially in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. The police complaint filed by the deceased boy’s father states that the boy died by suicide on September 17, allegedly after consuming poison. He was reportedly harassed and locked in a cowshed by Pushpa Devi the previous evening, Sept 16. The high court had earlier, on Sept 25, ordered the release of the petitioner on interim bail until further orders, considering that she is a woman and is entitled to special consideration. Until then, Police Station Chirgaon had not added Sections 3(2)(v) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the FIR registered on Sept 20. These sections were added later based on the investigation. The bench also noted that the accused also gave an interview to a local news media channel on Oct 1, in which she admitted that she confined the deceased boy inside her cowshed and stated that she would have not released him until the goat was given to her. “Chain Ram, Kardar made a statement about the caste prejudices prevalent against members of the scheduled caste, like ‘Koli’, who are treated as untouchable and not allowed to enter the house,” observed the court. 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