MP: Deadly attack on Congress leader Pradeep Ahirwar after asking his caste, said – “Attacked with sword after identifying Dalit”
Incident of Ganjbasoda in Vidisha district, Ahirwar said – “Jungle Raj in the state” Bhopal. A shocking and shameful incident has come to light in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, where a deadly attack was made on Congress leader and former member of Scheduled Caste Commission Pradeep Ahirwar after asking his caste. This incident happened late on Sunday night around 11:30 pm, when Pradeep Ahirwar was returning from Ganjbasoda to Bhopal. According to the information received, hundreds of unknown attackers stopped his Scorpio car, and first asked his name, then after knowing his caste, attacked him with swords. Pradeep Ahirwar showed wisdom and somehow took the car out of the spot and informed the police, and reached Ganjbasoda police station in the night itself and lodged an FIR. However, he did not get any injury in this incident. “Attack was done after knowing the name and caste” In a conversation with The Mooknayak, Pradeep Ahirwar said, “The attackers first asked my name. When I told my name and they came to know about my caste (Dalit), they immediately started attacking with swords.” He further said, “There is no such thing as law and order left in the state. The common man is not safe in the rule of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. This is a direct caste-based attack. Strictest action should be taken against the accused.” “There was a fight between groups, but the attack was on Pradeep Ahirwar” Vidisha Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani told The Mooknayak, – “This was a fight between two groups. Pradeep Ahirwar was not the target, but his car was targeted. A report has been filed and investigation is going on. Efforts are being made to identify the accused.” However, Pradeep Ahirwar’s allegations are different from this. He says that this is not a normal factional fight but a well-planned caste violence. In this case, a case has been registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Section 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code, and Section 147, 148, 149 (rioting and assault with deadly weapons). After this incident, there is a lot of outrage among Congress leaders and Dalit organizations. SC Congress has termed this attack as power-protected casteism. State Congress spokesperson Ravi Rahul said in a conversation with The Mooknayak, “If a Dalit leader can be attacked like this, then what is the guarantee of the safety of common Dalits?” He further said, this incident highlights the serious situation of caste violence in Madhya Pradesh. This is not only an attack on a politician, but also a big question on the social security of the Dalit community and the law and order of the state. We strongly condemn this incident. Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
Skeletons thrown out of graves for soil! Dalit community hurt by barbarism of mining mafia in Gujarat, appeals to CM for justice
Lilaben Makwana of Parnaala village and other people of Dalit community submitted a memorandum in Surendranagar Collectorate stating that the mining mafia not only looted natural resources by illegally mining soil but also deliberately tried to spread communal hatred by targeting the cemetery of Scheduled Castes. Surendranagar – The mining mafia has committed an act that shames humanity in Parnaala village of Limbdi taluka of the district. In this village, illegal soil mining was done by targeting the cremation ground of Scheduled Caste community and human skeletons buried there were taken out and thrown. This disgusting act not only hurt the religious and emotional sentiments of the community but also created an atmosphere of fear and communal tension in the area. The villagers have expressed deep anger over the inaction of the local administration and police in this matter and have demanded immediate action by submitting a written complaint to the Chief Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Surendranagar Collector and Superintendent of Police. Lilaben Makwana of Parnaala village and other people from the Dalit community submitted a memorandum to the Surendranagar Collectorate, giving a detailed account of the incident. According to them, the mafia damaged the crematorium and ruthlessly threw out the skeletons buried there during illegal mining. This act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the relatives of the deceased. Not only this, these anti-social elements did not even respect the rights of the village sarpanch and closed the crematorium from all sides, making it impossible for the community to use it. The local community informed the local police and administrative officials verbally and in writing several times in this matter, but no attention was paid to their complaints. The villagers say that the arbitrariness of the mining mafia and the silence of the administration have forced them to convey their matter to the higher authorities. They have warned that if immediate action is not taken in this matter and any untoward incident happens, the district administration will be solely responsible for it. They say that the mining mafia not only looted natural resources by illegally mining soil but also deliberately tried to spread communal hatred by targeting the cemetery of the Scheduled Castes. For this, they have demanded to register a case under the Indian Penal Code (BNS) and Scheduled Castes and Tribes Atrocities Prevention Act (Atrocity Act) and immediate arrest of the accused. Apart from this, there is also a demand to seize all the vehicles used in illegal mining and impose heavy fines. The villagers have also demanded that police security be arranged in their localities, so that such incidents can be prevented in future. Along with this, the Gram Panchayat has been demanded to free the crematorium from the possession of domineering elements by taking action under the Land Grabbing Act. The community also requested that the criminal history of the mining mafia be checked and if they are found to be repeatedly involved in such crimes, they should be expelled from the district. Apart from this, the Dalit community has given many concrete suggestions for the development and security of the crematorium. They have demanded that a paved road be built for access to the crematorium, security walls and gates be built all around, benches be installed for sitting, trees be planted and a room be built to keep equipment. Grants have been demanded from the Gram Panchayat, Taluka Panchayat and District Panchayat for these works. Also, the District Development Officer has been requested to approve the development works of the crematorium through special grants. Given the seriousness of the matter, the community has demanded that a joint team of Deputy Collector, Mamlatdar and Deputy Superintendent of Police be formed to visit the spot and submit a factual report to the state government through the District Collector. Calling the incident a violation of human rights, the community has appealed to the administration for quick and transparent action. Social worker Kirit Rathod of Navsarjan Trust visited Parnaala village and submitted a written memorandum to the Chief Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Surendranagar Collector, Superintendent of Police and other responsible officials in this matter. He termed the incident as a well-planned conspiracy against the Scheduled Caste community and demanded a thorough investigation from the administration and strict action against the culprits. Courtesy: Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
Gujarat: Dalit youth was going to take Shrikhand, casteist people did not like his style, so they beat him up and cut his hair!
The Gondal police have registered a case under sections 140(2), 324(2), 352, 54 (assault, kidnapping, property damage) of the Indian Penal Code (BNSS) 2023 and sections 3(1)(e)(r)(s), 3(2)(5) (caste insult and violence) of the SC/ST Act. Rajkot- Casteism is deeply rooted in society. In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in cases of caste violence, where Dalits and members of backward classes not only have to face social discrimination, but also physical violence and humiliating behavior. Similarly, a shocking incident has come to light in Gondal taluka of Rajkot, Gujarat, where a Dalit youth was beaten up by using caste-specific abuses and his hair was forcibly cut. The victim Kunalbhai Meghjibhai, who lives in Sadakpipliya village, has lodged a complaint with the Gondal police. Talking to The Mooknayak, 24-year-old Kunalbhai said that he has been living on rent with his parents and sister in Nareshbhai Jamod’s house in Sadakpipliya for five years. Kunal works as a laborer in Kesari Nandan factory near Bharudi Pariya and has studied up to class 9. Kunal told about the incident, “On the night of June 11, around 8:30 pm, I had left home on my motorcycle to get Shrikhand. Then the accused Satishbhai Vekariya and Markand Vyas came in front of me on their motorcycle and said, “Jadiaara (caste slur), where are you going?” and abused me. I stopped my motorcycle and asked them not to abuse me. To this, they said, “This is not your father’s village,” and started beating me with sticks. I ran away from there and reached Bajrang Dairy lane, but both of them came there on their motorcycle and then beat me with a stick. They pushed me against the wall and hit me and then took me to Bapa Sitaram temple on their motorcycle.” Kunal further said, “In the temple, they again beat me with a stick. Prayagbhai Prafulbhai Chauhan was also present there. Satish and Markand asked Prayag to bring scissors. Prayag brought scissors, with which Satish and Markand cut my hair. While cutting my hair, they were saying, “This Jadiara has long hair, he likes to keep long hair!” This was my first meeting with these two. They also broke the headrest and indicator of my motorcycle. The matter did not end here, after this Kunal returned home and told his neighbors about the incident. About an hour later, Satish again came to his house with a motorcycle and started abusing Kunal and his mother Manisha Ben. The landlord Nareshbhai pacified him and sent him away. Kunal told that he had suffered physical injuries, so he called 108 ambulance. Both mother and son were taken to Rajkot Government Hospital, where doctors confirmed serious injuries. On Kunal’s complaint, Gondal police have registered an FIR against the three accused. Indian Penal Code has been registered in the case. Sections 140(2), 324(2), 352, 54 (assault, kidnapping, damage to property) of the BNSS Code, 2023 and sections 3(1)(e)(r)(s), 3(2)(5) (caste-based insult and violence) of the SC/ST Act have been imposed. Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
Dalit daughters of government school did wonders – 12 girls from Mirzapur became NEET toppers, know how!
Dalit and backward class girl students of Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Marihan achieved historic success in the medical entrance examination on the strength of free education and coaching. Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh: 12 Dalit and backward class girl students of a government residential school located in the remote Marihan area of Mirzapur district have created a new history in the direction of education in the region by passing the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The success of these girl students has been described as a “milestone” by many sections of the society. According to officials, a total of 25 girl students from Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Marihan had appeared for the NEET-UG examination, the results of which were declared on June 14. Out of these, 12 girl students achieved success. The successful students include Shweta Pal, Kumari Pooja Ranjan, Princy, Malti, Komal Kumari, Lakshmi, Anuradha, Komal, Lakshmi, Sabhya Prajapati, Deepti Gupta and Pooja Sonkar. All of them come from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC). Result of hard work and school’s support Successful student Shweta Pal said, “Our teachers and wardens always motivated us to focus on studies. Our chemistry teacher Arvind Sir and biology teacher Sudhir Sir were always available for guidance. The school also had the facility of indoor and outdoor games for mental refreshment.” Shweta’s father Hira Lal also praised the school and said, “The arrangements of the school and hostel were very good. The teachers were very supportive and encouraging.” Ramesh Ranjan, father of another student Pooja Ranjan, said that his daughter passed the exam in the very first attempt. He said, “Pooja earlier studied in Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Sonbhadra, but came to Marihan for Class 11 and 12. She scored 81% marks in the UP Board. She used to study 16 to 18 hours a day — 6 hours in school, 5 hours in coaching and 6-7 hours in self-study.” Officials and leaders congratulated The success of these students has caught the attention of senior officials and leaders of the state. Uttar Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun congratulated these students. Describing it as a “great success”, he said, “After a few years, these daughters will become doctors and save people’s lives. We will ensure that there is no hindrance in their scholarship.” Mirzapur District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan said, “This is a historic achievement for the region. Sarvodaya Vidyalaya of Marihan has emerged as a role model for government schools. It is a residential school where girl students have been staying and studying for two years or more. They were given coaching for NEET and JEE along with regular education. Accommodation, food and studies — everything was free.” District Social Welfare Officer Trinetra Singh said, “Sarvodaya Vidyalaya of Marihan has been developed as a centre of excellence. The deputy director and I personally monitored the preparation and facilities of these girl students. They were provided books, coaching, food, sports and all other necessary resources.” Success through public-private partnership Director of Social Welfare Department Kumar Prashant said that the centre of excellence initiative at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya of Marihan is being run in collaboration with Ex-Navodaya Foundation, Varanasi and Tata AIG. Under this, 39 girl students were given free coaching for NEET and JEE, out of which 26 registered for NEET, 25 took the exam and 12 were successful. At present, the Social Welfare Department runs about 100 Sarvodaya Vidyalaya residential complexes in Uttar Pradesh, which provide free quality education and coaching for competitive examinations to students from economically weaker and disadvantaged communities from class 6 to 12. These institutions are opening new doors of bright future for the children of these communities. Courtesy: Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Dalits still treated as slaves by Sanatana Dharma: Rapper Vedan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rapper Vedan said he faces challenges walking the path paved by Ayyankali and Ambedkar, but vowed to continue moving forward with courage. He was speaking at the 84th death anniversary event of social reformer Ayyankali, organised by the KPMS district committee at Olympia Hall, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Vedan also offered a floral tribute at the Venganur Ayyankali Smrithi Mandapam on Wednesday morning. While speaking at the event, Vedan pointed out that the casteist society of Kerala celebrates Ambedkar and Ayyankali as leaders of a particular community and that must change. He said the community is yet to grow into an organised group capable of questioning political parties, and added that there is a need to resist the politics of Sanatana Dharma that divides people, especially marginalised communities. He added that Dalits are still treated as slaves by Sanatana Dharma and that a time should come when events like this are celebrated by a diverse audience in a larger venue. “We are becoming divided ourselves. The lack of fraternity encouraged by extreme Sanatana Dharma has crept into us too. What I witnessed here today is proof of that. Next time when such an event is organised, I hope to see it held in a bigger venue with participation from a broader audience,” he said. Vedan also said he would rather call Ayyankali a Mahaveeran (great warrior) than a mahatma (a revered person). “It is unfortunate that we are remembering someone as great as Ayyankali from such a small room. He should be celebrated in a way that the world recognises him. A time will come when the mainstream accepts him,” he said. The event was inaugurated by KPMS General Secretary Alangode Surendran. Vedan was honoured at the event. When presented with the Ayyankali’s ‘Thalappavu’ (head gear), he respectfully declined to wear it, saying he did not feel worthy. He performed two songs at the event, one based on a poem by Poykayil Appachan, and another, his own rap number titled ‘Kondal’. Courtesy : MSN Note: This news is originally published on https:/msn.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Chhatarpur: Cruelty of goons with Dalit, first they tore the skin of husband and wife with slippers, when they complained they broke their hands
Cruelty With Dalit: A shocking case of cruelty with a Dalit woman has come to light in Chhatarpur district. First the skin of Dalit husband and wife was torn by beating them with sticks and slippers. When the victim complained to the police, the goons broke their hands. Police registered a case under these sections. Chhatarpur: Once again a case of cruelty with a Dalit has come to light in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Some goons brutally tortured a Dalit family under Ishanagar police station area. First the husband and wife were beaten with slippers. After the incident, when the victim husband and wife reached the police station and filed a complaint in the matter. After that the goons once again beat them. Not only this, they broke the woman’s hand. The woman’s husband has also been injured in the incident of cruelty committed by the goons. Both of them reached the SP office in an injured state and appealed to the police for help. Due to this, Ishanagar police has registered a case against the bullies under various sections of SC ST Act including assault. Bullies refused to plow the field Bhagirath Prajapati, who lives in Pahad village of Ishanagar police station area, was going to plow the field of Moolchand Prajapati with his tractor. Then the bully Devendra alias Deepu Yadav, who lives in the same village, came in front. He threatened that you will not go to plow the field of Moolchand Prajapati. Bhagirath says that he got scared and then returned to his home. Victim beaten with slippers and sticks The victim told that after some time the bully came to my house with some people. After coming here, he beat me and my wife with slippers. After this, both of us husband and wife went to Isha Nagar police station and gave a complaint application and requested the police to take action in the matter. Hand broken as soon as complaint was made Bhagirath Prajapati’s wife Shyambai Prajapati said that the bullies beat us with slippers on June 8. The injury marks of this beating are still present on our body. We reached Isanagar police station on June 9 to register an FIR. There we gave a complaint application. After giving the complaint application, the bullies got angry. They entered the house and once again beat us with slippers and sticks. After this my hand got broken and many stitches were also put on the fingers of the hands. Threatened to kill if he came to the village The victim husband and wife are scared. He told that the bullies living in the village are threatening to kill him. They are also saying that if he returns to the village, they will kill both of you. At the same time, the police has taken the case into investigation by registering SC ST section and BNS SC ST Act against Dabbu alias Devendra Yadav and his brother Bablu Yadav. Both the husband and wife are scared since the incident. Both say that although the police have registered an FIR in the case, the accused are still roaming freely and threatening to kill them. In the same case, Additional SP IPS Vidita Dagar says that we are investigating the matter. Further action will be taken in this as soon as possible. Edited by: Sanjay Chaturvedi•Reported by: Jai Prakash About the author Sanjay Chaturvedi I work for Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh in Navbharat Times Digital. I have joined Navbharat Times from Asianet News Network in journalism. After starting work from Indore city, now Bhopal is my workplace. Courtesy : Hindi News
Intra-Dalit Fighting in Bihar Takes Toll on NDA’s Politics
The supremos of the LJP and the HAM are baying for each other’s blood when Rahul Gandhi has visited the state to woo Dalits and EBCs. The strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partner, the Janata Dal (United) JD(U), to pitch one Dalit caste against the other for sheer political ends has started making an ugly impact in several states, especially Bihar, where it has acquired a violent form too. Strangely in this poll-bound state, two Union ministers belonging to this section of society, one leading the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) (Chirag Paswan) and the other patronising the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) (Jitan Ram Manjhi), are locked in a grim battle to finish each other off. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the BJP’s bid to woo non-Jatav votes has caused a deep rift within the Scheduled Caste community that makes up 21.3% of the state’s population. As the Jatavs, the largest Scheduled Caste group, are still inclined towards Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the BJP has left no stone unturned in attracting other, smaller Dalit castes. Chirag’s ambition In Bihar, the latest round of bitter squabbling within two Dalit parties started on June 8, when Paswan held a rally in Arrah, a town about 70 kilometres west of Patna. His party, for all practical purposes, projected him as the future chief minister of Bihar. This was bound to alarm Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), as after the 2020 assembly election, the party accused Chirag of damaging its poll prospects in many seats. The LJP contested that election independently and many of its candidates were BJP rebels who could not get a ticket from that party. They included senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary Rajendra Singh and former legislators Rameshwar Chaurasia and Usha Vidyarthi. As Paswan himself is interested in contesting the assembly election from the Shahabad region of western Bihar – in which Arrah is located – it is quite natural for the JD(U) to feel uneasy. It was Bikramganj in this very region where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally on May 30. As the JD(U) has struggled to come up with a new leader as Nitish ails, Paswan is gradually projecting himself as a likely successor within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. The BJP has no mass leader of its own. Herein lies the crux of the matter. Former chief minister Manjhi was quick to respond to Paswan’s muscle-flexing. He said that he too had organised several big public meetings in the state and that it is those (read Paswan) who have a narrow support base who feel the need to speak loudly. Not only that, the HAM supremo charged Paswan with manipulating his rallies to make it look like they had bigger turnouts than they actually did. He also said that this is a pressure tactic adopted by the LJP ahead of seat-sharing talks within the NDA. Independent political observers are of the view that Manjhi was in fact speaking on behalf of a JD(U) that is facing an existential crisis. It needs to be mentioned that after the death of Chirag’s father and Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan on October 8, 2020 – that is, just three weeks before the assembly election that year – Manjhi had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi seeking a judicial probe into his death. An infuriated Chirag had then hit back by stating that Manjhi should be ashamed of himself. If he was so concerned about his father, he should have come to the hospital to inquire about health, which he did not, said Chirag. Genesis of the tussle But what is of great concern is that the battle between the two Dalit outfits is not only confined to seat-sharing arrangements within the NDA. Now, it has acquired a serious violent turn. For example, on September 18 last year, 34 Dalit houses were torched in the outskirts of Nawada town in Bihar. Incidentally, the alleged perpetrators of the crime were Paswans led by one local strongman named Nandu Paswan. The victims were mostly Musahars (Manjhi’s castemen) and some Ravidas. So, the attackers and those who had suffered were all Dalits. Land grab was said to be the main motive behind this unusual type of clash. Thus, in some parts of the rural hinterland, it can no more be said that only upper castes and backward castes are responsible for atrocities on Dalits; relatively well off Dalits have also targeted poor Dalits. The genesis of this intra-Dalit quarrel can be traced back to the early years of Nitish’s government. A few months after coming to power in November 2005, the new chief minister constituted the Mahadalit Commission. In those early days when the media was busy praising him sky-high, no journalist questioned this decision. However, the LJP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who were both constituents of the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the Union government level, strongly disapproved of this move of dividing Dalits and weakening their common cause. Initially, 18 of the 22 SCs of Bihar were categorised as Mahadalits – that is, the poorest among SCs. Only the Dussadhs (Paswans), Ravidas (known as Jatavs in north India), Dhobis (washermen) and Pasis (toddy sellers) were kept out of the list of Mahadalit castes, who were selected for special preferential treatment. This caused widespread resentment within SCs. After much hue and cry the Nitish government included three other castes – the Pasis, Dhobis and Ravidas – in the Mahadalit list. The Dussadhs remained the only exception. As if that was not enough, Nitish picked up Manjhi, a relatively little-known figure then, to become chief minister after the JD(U)’s debacle in the May 2014 Lok Sabha election. The chief minister took moral responsibility for this poor showing in which his party could win only two out of 40 seats. The JD(U) had then contested the election in alliance with the Communist Party of India and not the BJP, as Nitish was dead against
Minor Dalit girl blackmailed, raped in Akola
Akola: Some minority youths allegedly raped a minor Dalit girl by threatening to make her obscene photos viral. On the basis of a complaint, a case has been registered at Khadan police station. The accused have been booked on charges of kidnapping and rape etc. According to police, some minors may be involved in this incident. According to social worker Sunny Janjal, mother of the victim complained to him about some minority youths blackmailing her minor daughter and exploiting her sexually. Janjal took the woman to the police station and a complaint was registered. 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.
Odisha Dalit family ostracised for resisting child marriage; police denies claims
According to reports, Prasant Bar and his wife have been denied all basic amenities such as food, water, entry into temples, market places etc for the past three years. A Dalit family in Balia Pati village, located in the Balasore district of Odisha, is allegedly facing a social boycott by the villagers for the past three years for refusing to marry off their minor daughter; however, police have denied all claims, saying the matter stems from an internal dispute. According to reports, Prasant Bar and his wife have been denied all basic amenities such as food, water, entry into temples, marketplaces, etc, for the past three years. The couple has been subject to this treatment since their daughter was allegedly kidnapped by a man from another village, but was later rescued safely. However, reports claim that after their daughter returned, the village forced the couple to marry her off to the man who had abducted her. Prasant, however, remained adamant, saying that his daughter was still a minor and wanted to pursue higher education. This caused the village to turn hostile to them. A complaint was eventually registered with the Singla police station on June 14 this year by the daughter, who is now in college, regarding the ‘mental torture’ her parents were subjected to by the villagers. However, when Siasat.com reached out to the police, they denied all claims, saying the complaint was motivated by a recent dispute between Prasant and the head of the village. The police informed that Prasant used to take water from Pradeep’s water cellar for agricultural purposes, but refused to pay him money for it. The police also alleged that Prasant’s daughter, then 14, had eloped with the man willingly was not kidnapped. They also informed that the man is now married and has a son. Lakdikapul Gated CommunitySt JosephsGermanten Hospital The police say the boycott is only a few days old, unlike the three years as claimed by a few media reports. Police also alleged that Prasant had bribed the media in his favour. “We have not registered an FIR on the matter since the complainant themselves wish not to take it further, and they have said that they will talk with the villagers in a day or two and try to resolve the issue; the police will also be present to mediate,” said Inspector-in-Charge Kamalini Tandi told Siasat.com. Courtesy : Saleha Fatima, TSD Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
800 Dalit families without basic infra since ’75 in U’khand village; HC calls for action
Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court has asked the state govt to explain why no action has been taken to relocate around 800 Dalit families living without electricity, piped water, healthcare, or education in Sundarkhal village in Nainital district, which was given the status of forest village (van gram) in 1975. An HC bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra noted that despite a 2014 committee resolution recommending relocation, no steps were taken to implement it — not even identifying an alternative site. HC fixed June 27 as the date for the final hearing and instructed all parties to be prepared. The bench had earlier directed the forest secretary to submit a progress report in response to a public interest litigation filed by the Independent Media Society. Sundarkhal, in Ramnagar block, is a Scheduled Caste-dominated village that has long remained in administrative limbo. Most of its families rely on agriculture or daily-wage labour. Though residents have lived there for decades, the forest department classified the area as encroached land in 2003, after which the state stopped extending public services — citing legal constraints tied to forest conservation laws. Since then, residents have repeatedly petitioned the state for either relocation or essential services. In 2014, following protests and RTI campaigns, a committee was formed to look into the matter. While the panel submitted a resolution recommending relocation, the proposal stalled — no land was allotted and no budget allocated. The PIL, filed by the Dehradun-based advocacy group, cited human rights violations and chronic government inaction. It argued that the state’s failure to act amounted to systemic neglect of a marginalised community. “The residents have been forced to live without basic facilities for decades,” the petition said, urging the court to either order immediate relocation or instruct the state to provide basic infrastructure at the site. The court noted that no meaningful action had been taken despite the recommendation being over a decade old. It said the matter could not be delayed further and asked the state to clarify its stand in the next hearing. 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.