MP: Arson in tribal hut in Ashoknagar, bloody conflict between two sides over occupation of forest land!
As soon as the information about the incident was received, Chanderi police reached the spot and handled the situation. Later, Collector Aditya Singh and SP Vineet Kumar Jain also reached the village and inspected the spot. Bhopal. In Sirsaud village of Chanderi police station area of Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh, a dispute between tribal and Yadav community over occupation of forest land on Sunday turned into a bloody conflict. During the dispute, a hut of tribal women was set on fire, due to which tension spread in the village. A tribal woman was injured in the incident, while a person from the other side has been seriously injured by an axe. Women of the tribal community alleged that former village sarpanch Suryabhan Yadav arrived with several people and a tractor to occupy the forest land. When the tribals told them to stop and not remove their hut, the Yadav side abused and assaulted them. The women say that the hut was set on fire and they were threatened to vacate the house. The tribal woman injured in the incident has been admitted to Chanderi Civil Hospital. On the other hand, information has come to light that Suryabhan Yadav of the Yadav side was hit by an axe in the stomach. He was referred to the district hospital after first aid. The Yadav side alleges that the tribal youths suddenly attacked them when they went to sow. The Yadav side also claims that the tribal women themselves set fire to the hut so that false cases could be made. A video has also surfaced regarding this claim, in which a man is telling the women that “You are setting fire yourself, I am making a video.” However, after the video, the women are seen moving away from the hut. As soon as the information about the incident was received, the Chanderi police reached the spot and handled the situation. Later, Collector Aditya Singh and SP Vineet Kumar Jain also reached the village and inspected the spot. Police force has been deployed in view of the seriousness of the dispute. On the complaint of the complainant Ajay son of Palla Adivasi (23 years), a case has been registered against 15 named and some unknown people of Yadav community under section 115(2), 296, 351(2), 191(3), 326(g) of BNS and section 3(1)(R), 3(1)(S), 3(2)(v-a) of SC/ST Act. On the other hand, on the complaint of Suryabhan Yadav, a case has been registered against 9 named and 4-5 unknown people of tribal community under section 115(2), 118(1), 296, 351(2), 3(5), 191(2), 191(3) of BNS. At present, the situation in the village is under control under police surveillance, but this incident of burning of huts and violence is raising many serious questions about the safety of the tribal community and forest land rights. Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
Wife of tribal professor who wrote a letter to PM seeking ‘justice’ appeals to media: ‘Please support us in our fight against caste discrimination in MNNIT’
In her letter, Vanaja has urged the media to play the role of the “fourth pillar of democracy” and highlight the matter. Hyderabad- Media is called the fourth pillar of democracy and at a time when the hope of justice from the executive and judiciary is lost, many people consider media as their last hope and appeal for help. Nimmakayala Vanaja, wife of Assistant Professor Dr. M. Venkatesh Nayak, who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining about caste discrimination in MNNIT Allahabad (Prayagraj), has also taken such a step. She has written an open letter to media organizations and appealed to highlight her husband’s struggle that has been going on for 8 years. Dr. Nayak belongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and has alleged caste discrimination, ban on promotion and administrative harassment in the institute since 2017. Dr Nayak had detailed the attempts at the institute to “deliberately ruin” her career. According to Vanaja, no action was taken despite “all evidence and documents” provided to all concerned authorities, including the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). In her emotional letter to the media, Vanaja lamented the neglect of teachers from the underprivileged community: “When honest, hardworking ST teachers are subjected to injustice, no one listens to their voice. Despite repeated attempts by my husband to approach the media, no one came forward to highlight their struggle. If honest, dedicated and hardworking teachers like him are not given a platform to express the injustice they are facing, how can they expect justice?” She referred to earlier cases such as that of Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla of IIT Kanpur and Dr Vipin Veetil of IIT Madras, where reports of caste discrimination made national headlines. In the letter, she wrote, “This is not the first time such discrimination has taken place in premier institutes. We have seen similar cases before – Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla at IIT Kanpur, Dr Vipin Veetil at IIT Madras and many others whose painful experiences made headlines. Today my husband is facing a similar situation. Despite giving his best in education and research, he is harassed only because of his caste identity.” Institutional neglect a trend? Dr Nayak says her promotion to the post of associate professor in 2025 was deliberately withheld. Complaints to MNNIT’s SC/ST cell and the education ministry were met with no action. Allegations of “misrepresentation” were levelled by her lawyer in the Allahabad High Court. Vanaja, in her letter, has urged the media to play the role of the “fourth pillar of democracy” and highlight the matter. “After every avenue is closed, we have come to you,” she wrote, seeking media coverage to pressurise the authorities. Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
Prayagraj: Dalit minor girl recovered from Kerala, accused of forced conversion and terror recruitment; two arrested
15-year-old girl from Phulpur lured to Kerala, where she was forced to convert and engage in terror activities; two accused arrested Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh). A case has come to light in which a 15-year-old Dalit girl from Prayagraj district was lured to Kerala and forced to convert and engage in terror activities. Giving information about this on Monday, the police claimed to have busted an alleged radical network. According to the police, the conspiracy came to light when the teenager escaped from their clutches in Kerala and contacted her mother with the help of local police. Two accused have been arrested in the case. According to the report published in HT, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat said that on May 8, this girl was allegedly lured from a village in Phulpur area. Somehow she reached Thrissur railway station and called her mother from there. The DCP said, “The teenager was being forced to join jihadi activities. After contacting Kerala, she was brought back to Prayagraj and is currently kept in a one stop center for security reasons.” The police have arrested 19-year-old Daraksha Bano and Mohammad Kaif. Apart from them, a case has also been registered against an unknown person who had threatened the victim’s family over the phone. In the preliminary interrogation, the teenager told that the same gang was trying to recruit other minor girls by targeting them. On June 26, the victim’s mother had lodged a written complaint at the Phulpur police station that her daughter was lured and taken away. After approaching the police, she also received threatening calls from an unknown number. According to DCP Gunawat, the girl was first lured with money and introduced to some suspicious people, then forcibly converted and later pressured to join terrorist activities. According to the victim’s statement, Kaif drove her to Prayagraj Junction railway station on a motorcycle and molested her during this time. Daraksha Bano then took her to Delhi by train and then to Kerala, where she was introduced to unknown people associated with the radical network. The DCP said that the accused were working as an organised gang who were conspiring to mislead the girls and push them into anti-national and terrorist activities. The police have formed three special teams to investigate the case thoroughly, which are engaged in exposing the entire network. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Refusal to cut hair of Dalit students: Big action by police on centuries-old untouchability in Karnataka village!
Caste-based discrimination in Kinni Sultan village of Aland taluk, Dalit students denied service in salon. Karnataka: Police have registered a case under SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act in the case of a salon owner refusing to cut hair of students of Dalit community in Kinni Sultan village of Aland taluk in Kalaburagi district. According to the police, some students of Dalit community had gone to the salon to get a haircut on Friday. It is alleged that the salon owner refused to serve them saying that they are following the traditions of their ancestors. It is worth noting that recently incidents of refusal to cut hair of Dalits had come to light in this area. Despite having three salons in the village, Dalits have to go to Aland town 14 km away or Tadkal village 5 km away to get a haircut. Only after the police warned of strict action, the barbers of the village agreed to serve Dalit customers. Based on a complaint by a Dalit man, the police have registered a case against salon owner Premnath Shinde under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Aland taluk social welfare department assistant director Vijayalakshmi Holkar visited the village to gather information about the incident. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Dalit woman brutally beaten in Hisar police station? Police accused of third degree torture!
Commotion due to allegations of serious atrocities on woman in Siwan police station area, family alleges- Police is trying to suppress the matter Kaithal (Haryana). A case of alleged brutal assault and third degree torture of a Dalit woman in police custody has come to light in the Siwan police station area of the district. The woman was admitted to the government hospital in Kaithal by her family in critical condition. She has deep injury marks on her body and bleeding from her internal organs. The family alleges that the woman was detained by the police on Saturday for questioning in the case of a missing girl. She was later released, but during this time she was brutally treated. The victim’s side said in a complaint to the Superintendent of Police (SP) that during the interrogation, a female policeman and four male policemen brutally beat her in a closed room. The family says that the woman is innocent and was treated inhumanly. Seeing her condition, there is great anger among the family and local people. As soon as the information of the incident was received, the citizens of Siwan and the family of the woman reached the DC and SP office and demanded strict action against the guilty policemen. The woman’s husband Rohtash and nephew Sachin alleged that the police are pressurizing the family to suppress the matter and withdraw the complaint. Municipal Council President Representative Sandeep Saini, BJP leader Shaili Munjal and former District Councilor Master Ratiram have also demanded a fair investigation and legal action against the culprits. Haryana Scheduled Caste Commission has also taken cognizance of the matter. Commission member Ravi Taranwali said that the matter of atrocities against the Dalit woman has come to his notice. He has asked the Kaithal SP to submit a report in two days. The commission will take action after receiving the report. On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Preeti has also sought a report from the police and has given instructions to provide free legal aid to the woman. A delegation of residents of Siwan village alleged in a complaint to the DC that the woman was beaten up in the police station premises, due to which she suffered serious injuries. The DC has assured appropriate action. Statements of police officials According to Amar Ujala’s report, DSP, Sushil Kumar said on the incident, “The woman is an accused in a case. If she has been mistreated, it will be investigated.” While station in-charge Om Prakash said in his statement, “The allegations are baseless and false. The woman was called for questioning on Saturday, but she was not beaten up.” Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Case of illegal occupation of Dalit’s land: Despite the court order in Barabanki, the bullies are doing construction, the victim complained on the CM portal
A case of illegal occupation of a Dalit’s land has come to light in Niyamatpur village of Barabanki. The dispute of the land of the victim Ram Raj is pending in the Barabanki Civil Court. The neighbor of the same village and his wife are forcibly occupying this land and doing construction work. On Sunday morning, when the neighbor was doing the construction work, he threatened to beat up the victim when he protested. The Tehsildar had ordered the Patranga Kotwali police to maintain the status quo. There were instructions not to do any construction till the decision of the court. Despite this, the neighbors are doing construction work by disregarding all the rules. The live video of the incident is going viral on social media. The victim has lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister Helpline and Patranga Kotwali Police for justice. Courtesy: Dilip Kumar, Hindi News
Pro-Schedule Castes organisations and activists allege foul play in death of man in Tiruppur district
He was found hanging from a tree with his hands tied near Dharapuram. The police suspect it to be a case of suicide, and the victim’s family also did not raise any suspicion over the death Pro-Scheduled Caste forums and activists have alleged foul play in the death of a 42-year-old man, whose body was found hanging from a tree with his hands tied, near Dharapuram in Tiruppur district on June 26. While the police stated that it was a case of suicide, the organisations alleged that the deceased, K. Murugan of Sennakkalpalayam, who belonged to the Scheduled Caste and was doing farm work, was a victim of caste atrocity. Murugan’s body was found around 11 a.m. on June 26. The Alangiyam police shifted the body to the Dharapuram GH, where the post-mortem examination was carried out on June 27. The body was cremated the same day. Tiruppur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Yadav Girish Ashok said the post-mortem findings did not indicate any signs of external force. Murugan’s family also did not raise any suspicion in his death. The police registered a case under Section 194 (police to enquire and report on suicide, etc.) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. “A detailed investigation is on,” the SP said. Another senior police officer claimed that the hands were not tied fully when the body was found. The rope was found only coiled around the wrists without a knot. This indicated that Murugan could have done it himself before ending his life, the officer said. The police said Murugan’s moped and footwear were found near the scene. He had visited his relatives before coming to the spot, they said. However, activists and members of the VCK, the Tamil Puligal Katchi, and other pro-Dalit organisations alleged foul play. They also accused the police of not conducting a proper investigation and forcing the family to cremate the body in haste. Govindaraj of Vizhuthugal, an organisation working for the welfare of people belonging to the SCs and Scheduled Tribes, said he would petition the Collector for an inquiry into Murugan’s death. (Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.) Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Probe sought into dalit man’s death in Coimbatore
Coimbatore: Three days after a dalit man was found hanging from a tree with both hands tied with a rope at Sennakkalpalayam near Dharapuram, dalit organisations on Sunday condemned police for dismissing it as a suicide case and urged the district superintendent of police to conduct a fair probe into his death. K Murugan, 42, a daily wage labourer from Sennakkalpalayam, was found hanging from a tree in the locality on Thursday (June 26). When alerted, the Alangiyam police sent the body to the govt hospital at Dharapuram for postmortem. The body was handed over to his family members the next day, when it was cremated. Senior police officers said the postmortem findings did not indicate any sign of external force in Murugan’s death. His family members also did not raise any suspicion over the death. Police subsequently registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Dalit activists, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Tamil Puligal Katchi and other dalit organisations on Sunday alleged foul play behind Murugan’s death. They accused police of not conducting a proper investigation and forcing the family to cremate the body in haste. V Govindaraj of Vizhuthugal, an organisation working for the welfare of people belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, said there was foul play behind Murugan’s death. “We are planning to petition the district collector, seeking a proper inquiry into Murugan’s death.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Trouble in Karnataka Congress: As Siddaramaiah government nears 2.5-year mark, Dalit CM talk resurfaces
Siddaramaiah may back Parameshwara as his successor to retain influence if he can’t continue as CM, a senior Congress leader told TNIE. BENGALURU: Amid talks of a change in guard in Karnataka, even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inches towards completing two-and-a-half years of his present term, the issue of a dalit CM is likely to come to the fore. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s recent meetings with Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar in quick succession have fuelled speculation. “Siddaramaiah will try his best to continue as CM, but if such a situation does arise, he may name Parameshwara as his successor so that he can still hold the reins in government,” a senior Congress leader who visited New delhi recently told TNIE. According to sources, Siddaramaiah, who held talks with the Congress high command in the national capital, might have shared certain details with Parameshwara, who also met industries Minister MB Patil, giving rise to speculation that Siddaramaiah’s coterie is preparing for the eventuality. Replying to Leader of the opposition in the assembly R Ashoka’s statement that there will be a new CM by october, Patil said, “Let Ashoka safeguard his post. There are no developments in the Congress, since the High Command and CWC take a call. The statements of individual leaders [including those from the Congress] are insignificant.” Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa downplayed the Dalit CM issue, calling it stale. He said it was being talked about since AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge was in the race. Muniyappa had reportedly proposed Kharge’s name when the party came to power in 2023. “But now the chances of Kharge returning to state politics are remote. It is to be seen if a change in guard is inevitable, and whether he proposes a Dalit leader’s name or not,” remarked a Congress leader. Separately, Shivakumar loyalist and Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain on Sunday predicted that the former will become CM in three months, while Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa asserted that Siddaramaiah will continue as CM. Parameshwara, while meeting Shivakumar might have discussed several other issues, including the nomination of four MLCs, for which the high command’s approval is awaited, a source said. He has been trying to push the candidature of his loyalist and former MLC MC Venugopal, a backward caste leader, for a Council seat. Devaraj B Hirehalli Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Witness to the Unheard: Remembering K.M. Salimkumar
Salimkumar was part of a generation of leaders who re-evaluated their ideological roots, transitioning from strict Marxist lines to a framework informed by Ambedkarite thought. It feels as though it happened just yesterday – the long, winding bus ride to Thodupuzha, a serene town in Kerala’s Idukki district. It was 2008. We were en route to release ഭൂമിയുടെ ജാതിയും രാഷ്ട്രീയവും (Caste and the Politics of the Land), a powerful book by K.M. Salimkumar. Sitting beside me was the man himself – a relentless voice for Dalit and Adivasi rights, an activist, thinker, and writer who had spent decades challenging the status quo. He passed away on June 29, after a lifetime of confronting dominant narratives with a clarity that few dared to match. During that trip, Salimkumar spoke with thoughtful determination about his political path – from early activism with the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation to his eventual estrangement from a Left movement that, in his view, skirted around the issue of caste. His words weren’t bitter or sentimental, they were sharp. He argued that caste, as a deeply entrenched system of oppression in Indian society, often vanished beneath class-based rhetoric. For him, the revolutionary struggle had failed to acknowledge the lived experiences of those most marginalised. That journey wasn’t just about a book, it offered a glimpse into the principled world he inhabited. Born in 1949, in a tribal family in Velliammattom panchayat in Idukki, Salimkumar rose to become a formidable voice for social justice in Kerala. His early years were shaped by Marxist liberation politics, and he was incarcerated for 17 months during the Emergency. But unlike others who moderated their stance afterward, Salimkumar intensified his critique, especially of the movements he once served. He questioned why caste was so often left out of revolutionary discourse and why land struggles didn’t prioritise those without land, Dalits and Adivasis. His involvement in building political and grassroots networks was extensive. As a founder of the Dalit Unity Committee in 1999 and editor of publications like Raktapataka and Dalit Aikyashabdam, he gave platform to marginalised voices. His activism focused not on charity, but on dignity, autonomy, and rightful assertion. Salimkumar was part of a generation of leaders who re-evaluated their ideological roots, transitioning from strict Marxist lines to a framework informed by Ambedkarite thought. While many Left parties in Kerala treated caste as a secondary issue to class, Salimkumar argued it was a primary axis of oppression. He frequently reminded people that caste is not a relic of the past but a system that defines everything – from land rights to social boundaries. He openly criticised symbolic gestures like renaming Dalit colonies with sanitised, Sanskrit-inspired names. For him, such acts were attempts to cover up deeper inequalities. “Changing names doesn’t change realities,” he wrote. “The trauma, the exclusion, the inherited shame – they all remain.” ‘Negritude’, K.M. Salimkumar. His collection of columns under the title Negritude reflected this radical clarity. In them, he explored themes such as Ambedkar’s democratic philosophy, the erasure of tribal identity, and the contradictions in Kerala’s progressive self-image. By drawing connections between caste-based and racial oppression, he built a body of work that was more than literature – it was a political statement. Salimkumar also centred B.R. Ambedkar in his vision of India’s democratic future. He didn’t see Ambedkar merely as a constitutional architect, but as a radical critic of social inequality and a prophet of structural reform. He cited Ambedkar’s assertion that while Hindu privilege maintained Brahminical rule, true democracy meant Dalits must have full participation. He was especially vocal about the contradictions in Kerala’s development model. Though the state is praised for its human development indicators, he pointed out how Dalits and Adivasis continued to face displacement and marginalisation in the name of progress. During protests like the Muthanga agitation, albeit his reservations about the struggle itself, he challenged the hypocrisy of governments that claimed to be for the people while undermining the very communities they displaced. His published works – including Dalit Ideology and Communalisation (2008), Dalit Democratic Thought (2018), Reservation in a Dalit Perspective (2018), and The Subtleties of Casteism (2021) – offer critical insights into how casteism adapts to survive even in secular and progressive settings. His critique extended beyond the obvious culprits. He held the liberal elite and even self-proclaimed progressives accountable for sustaining caste structures. In his later years, Salimkumar emphasised the importance of cultural memory and literature in political struggle. He believed that writing was an act of reclaiming identity, that memory could resist erasure, and that telling one’s story was itself revolutionary. He didn’t aspire to lead in the conventional sense. He wanted to bear witness—to name what others avoided, to stay rooted in difficult truths, and to never allow silence to replace justice. In an age when even dissent is being curated and softened, KM Salimkumar’s legacy stands as a reminder that the fight for equality requires more than slogans—it demands unflinching truth. K.M. Seethi is Director, Inter University Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE), Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Kerala, India. Seethi also served as Senior Professor of International Relations, Dean of Social Sciences at MGU and ICSSR Senior Fellow. K.M. Seethian Courtesy : The Wire Note: This news is originally published on https:/thewire.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.