Gujarat: Dalit families in Sabarkantha are considering mass migration due to alleged social discrimination.
Despite filing numerous complaints and applications under the Atrocity Act, villagers claim that no concrete action has been taken, forcing many affected families to threaten mass migration. A serious case of alleged social discrimination and harassment against members of the Scheduled Caste community has emerged from Rupal village in Talod taluka of Sabarkantha district, Gujarat. According to Gujarat Samachar, despite filing numerous complaints and applications under the Atrocity Act, villagers claim that no concrete action has been taken, forcing many affected families to threaten mass migration. According to community members, some anti-social elements in the village are allegedly depriving them of their basic constitutional rights and subjecting them to persistent social, economic, religious, and administrative discrimination. Community leaders claimed that at least six complaints and several written applications under the Atrocity Act have already been submitted to authorities regarding this matter. Villagers reported that attempts were made to resolve the dispute through mutual agreement, but the situation escalated due to alleged non-implementation of assurances, leading to renewed tension in the village. On Sunday, members of the affected community submitted a memorandum to the Resident Additional Collector at the district office in Himmatnagar, demanding immediate intervention and protection. They alleged that despite repeated appeals to the administration, they received neither justice nor protection. Meanwhile, many families are now facing a form of “social boycott” within the village. Community representatives further alleged that people are being mentally and physically tortured, leaving them with no option but to leave their ancestral village. In the memorandum, they warned that if a concrete solution is not found within the next seven days, families from the Scheduled Caste community may be forced to migrate en masse from Rupal village. This incident has once again raised serious questions about caste-based discrimination and the implementation of legal safeguards at the grassroots level. These allegations have also sparked debate over whether authorities have taken adequate action despite repeated complaints filed under stringent social justice laws. At present, there has been no official response from district officials to these allegations or calls for intervention. Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit woman gang rape case: Accused held after encounter
Prayagraj: Three days after a Dalit woman was gang-raped, police arrested one of the accused after an exchange of fire in Pratapgarh on Tuesday. Two other accused are still at large. Cops seized a country-made pistol of 0.315 bore, along with four used and one live cartridge from the criminal identified as Sohail (22), a resident of Dilippur. Sohail, along with his two accomplices, is accused of gang-raping a Dalit woman three days back. Police said a joint team of Antoo police was conducting routine checks near Lohangpur village forest area when the cops noticed a suspicious man. The cops signalled him to stop, but he tried to escape. When the police team surrounded him, he opened fire. In retaliation, he was injured. 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
Parthasarathy accuses YSRCP of Injustice to Dalits
Nuzvid (Eluru district): Information and public relations and housing minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the coalition government is giving special priority to the welfare, protection and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Andhra Pradesh. Participating in a Dalit Reform Meeting held at Dr B R Ambedkar Centre in Nuzvid on Tuesday, the minister paid floral tributes to the statue of B R Ambedkar and remembered Dalits who allegedly suffered injustice during the previous YSRCP government. As part of the programme, the minister and participants held placards and lit candles in memory of Dalit victims who, according to him, were subjected to injustice during the earlier regime. Addressing the gathering, Parthasarathy described the previous five-year YSRCP rule as a “dark phase” for Dalits. He alleged that many Dalits were subjected to severe hardships and humiliation during that period. He referred to the case of Dalit doctor Dr Sudhakar, stating that despite rendering medical services for several decades and earning a good reputation, he was mentally harassed and driven to a tragic end during the previous government. He also mentioned the death of Dalit youth Veedhi Subrahmanyam, alleging that he was brutally assaulted and killed. The Minister claimed that the postmortem report showed multiple injury marks on the victim’s body and criticised the handling of the incident by leaders of the previous regime. Parthasarathy said the NDA coalition government, under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT minister Nara Lokesh, with the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to ensuring inclusive development and social justice in the state. He alleged that during the previous YSRCP government, SC communities were denied proper welfare benefits and political importance. According to him, funds and welfare measures meant for Scheduled Castes were diverted, and several sections of society faced oppression and neglect. The Minister stated that the present NDA government is working with commitment towards the empowerment and comprehensive welfare of SC communities. He also said that every poor person in the constituency would be protected and supported “like the apple of his eye.” Criticising the opposition, Parthasarathy said the YSRCP, which was reduced to only 11 Assembly seats, had failed to learn lessons from the people’s verdict and continued to make baseless allegations against the coalition government. Public representatives, coalition leaders, youth representatives, SC organisation leaders, local residents and members of SC communities participated in the programme. 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
Provide records on recovered Panchami land: NCSC to TN
Over the years, many private individuals and organisations encroached upon them across TN. MADURAI: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued a notice to the Principal Secretary to the Government and the Commissioner of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department seeking records of land that was reclassified as ‘Government land Tharisu’ (barren land) during the past 10 years. The notice was issued following a complaint alleging that revenue authorities, after recovering Panchami and Adi Dravidar land from encroachers, had reclassified it as government barren land instead of restoring their original Adi Dravidar land status. Speaking to TNIE, Dalit Liberation Movement (DLM) president S Karuppaiah said that thousands of acres had historically been assigned to Scheduled Caste communities under Panchami land and Adi Dravidar land categories. “These plots are specifically reserved for the SCs and cannot be sold or reclassified. Over the years, many private individuals and organisations encroached upon them across TN. Due to continuous protests and efforts by Dalit and human rights organisations, several such encroachments were cleared. However, after recovery, the revenue department reclassified many of these land parcels as ‘TN Tharisu’ instead of restoring them as ‘Adi Dravidar land (Tharisu),” he alleged. Karuppaiah further claimed the reclassification deprived Dalits of land originally earmarked for them. Pointing to the seriousness of the issue, he said the District Revenue Officer of Kallakurichi district had issued a circular in 2024 directing revenue officials to correctly reclassify recovered Panchami and Adi Dravidar land as Adi Dravidar land (Tharisu). “However, many revenue staff and inspectors across Tamil Nadu remain unaware of the issue. We also suspect that casteist forces may be influencing such reclassifications. Similar misleading land classifications have allegedly taken place in districts including Dharmapuri, Madurai, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Theni, and Dindigul over several decades,” he added. Speaking to TNIE, Dr S Ravivarman, Director of the NCSC, confirmed that the commission had taken cognisance of the complaint. “A notice was issued to the state government considering the gravity and criminal nature of the allegations. We have sought records regarding encroachments and subsequent recovery actions district-wise. Based on the documents received, the commission will conduct individual hearings for each case,” he said. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Teenage Girl Gang Rape Case – Second Accused Arrested: One Accused Was Caught in Pratapgarh After Being Injured in an Encounter
Police have arrested the second accused in the kidnapping and gang rape case of a Dalit girl in the Antu police station area of Pratapgarh. Previously, one accused was arrested after being injured in an encounter. According to police, the first accused, Sohail, was arrested yesterday afternoon in the Lohangpur forest of Antu after being shot in the leg. He has been sent to the medical college. SO Abhishek Singh Sirohi arrested the second accused, Irfan Khan alias Khunne, from the Antu railway station. Irfan is a resident of Mahuli, Nagar Kotwali area. Police also recovered the car used in the incident from his possession. According to information, after kidnapping the girl, the accused drove her around the Nagar Kotwali and Dilippur areas in a car throughout the night. They left her unconscious near her home at around 4 a.m. and fled. It is reported that the girl had befriended a young man named Guddu Khan on Facebook. On Monday evening, Guddu brought her to Mahuli Mandi on his bike, where he also called his friends, Sohail and Irfan. The three then committed the crime together. In the early morning, the girl’s family found her unconscious. She was immediately taken to the Community Health Center (CHC). Upon regaining consciousness, she reported the incident, and a case was registered based on her mother’s complaint. Manu Kumar Singh | Pratapgarh Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit student dies after alleged caste humiliation in India
Police arrest three men after family says college student was assaulted and publicly humiliated over caste identity in Uttar Pradesh NEW DELHI, India — A 20-year-old Dalit college student in northern India allegedly died by suicide after being assaulted and humiliated over his caste identity, police and family members said, in a case that has renewed scrutiny of caste-based discrimination and violence in the country. The student, identified as Atin Kumar, was found dead in his room on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district, a day after he was allegedly confronted at a local library, accused of harassing a girl and beaten after revealing he belonged to the Dalit community — a historically oppressed caste group formerly referred to as “untouchables.” Police said a handwritten suicide note recovered from his room referenced harassment and assault linked to the incident. Family members also claimed injury marks were visible on his body, including what appeared to be a fractured finger. According to a complaint filed by his father, Ajay Kumar, Atin regularly visited the RM Library after attending college classes. On Saturday evening, several men at the library allegedly confronted him and questioned him about his caste identity during an altercation. The family alleged the confrontation escalated into physical assault after Atin disclosed that he was Dalit. “My son suffered injuries in the assault and came back home humiliated,” his father said in the police complaint. “He did not share the ordeal with the family and was found dead the next day.” Atin was the only son of his parents, both of whom are specially abled, according to local residents. Alongside his studies as a Bachelor of Science student, he reportedly also ran a small grocery shop to help support the family financially. Police have registered a criminal case against six people under charges including murder, rioting, assault and caste-based atrocities. The case was filed under provisions of India’s Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a law designed to address violence and discrimination against marginalized caste communities, alongside sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s criminal code. Police on Monday said three accused — identified as Atul Sikera, Dhruv Yadav and Ritik Yadav — had been arrested, while efforts were underway to locate the remaining suspects. “Police teams are working to nab the other absconding accused,” Shikohabad Deputy Superintendent of Police Amreesh Kumar said. The case has triggered outrage on social media and renewed debate over caste discrimination in India, where Dalits continue to face violence, social exclusion and humiliation despite constitutional protections and affirmative action policies. Human rights groups and Dalit activists have long argued that caste-based violence remains deeply embedded in parts of Indian society where social hierarchies continue to shape access to education, employment and public spaces. Courtesy : Muslim Network TV Note: This news is originally published on https:/muslinetworktv.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit politics in Bihar erupts again; Union Minister Manjhi’s statement raises political heat
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has launched a scathing attack on the RJD and Tejashwi Yadav over the Dalit-Mahadalit issue in Bihar. He accused the RJD of suppressing Dalits. Manjhi accused the RJD of suppressing Dalits. He vowed to respond with the “power of Ambedkarism.” The political temperature in Bihar has risen following the Barachatti incident. Patna. The rhetoric surrounding the Dalit-Mahadalit issue has intensified in Bihar politics. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has once again launched a scathing attack on Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. In a post on the social media platform X, Manjhi accused the RJD of engaging in politics aimed at suppressing the Dalit and Mahadalit communities. He said that the Dalit-Mahadalit community has now awakened and the politics of intimidation will not last long. “The power of Ambedkarism will provide the answer.” In his post, Manjhi wrote, “RJD goons have always said… ‘There’s no strength in the power, now ask for your life.’” In response, he invoked Ambedkarism and wrote that the Dalit and Mahadalit community will now give a befitting reply. Manjhi said in a poetic style, “As long as there is a trace of faith among Dalits and Mahadalits, the sword of Ambedkarism will reach the throne of RJD.” He said that the Dalit community has now become politically and socially aware and is not afraid of any kind of pressure or threat. Following the arrests in this case, the RJD has questioned the police action. The RJD leader alleged that innocent people, especially women, are being harassed in this case. The RJD said that the police are taking action under pressure from Manjhi. EDITATED BY: VYAS CHANDRA Courtesy: Hindi News
NHRC issues Advisory 2.0 to Ministries and the Chief Secretaries of all the states and UTs to ensure the welfare of transgender persons
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has issued an Advisory 2.0 to ensure the welfare of transgender persons to the Secretaries of 11 Ministries, the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner and the Chief Secretaries/ Administrators of all the states and union territories as part of its continuing efforts to protect and promote their human rights. The Advisory has been issued to the Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment, Home Affairs, Law and Justice, Statistics and Programme Implementation, Education, Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Corporate Affairs, Labour and Employment, Housing and Urban Affairs and Rural Development. Issuing the Advisory, the Commission has noted the encouraging responses from all concerned authorities to its earlier Advisory of 15th September 2023 and the constructive engagement reflecting a shared commitment to this cause. It has also acknowledged the initiatives undertaken by the Government, including the enactment of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, along with allied schemes and policy measures aimed at improving their socio-economic conditions. Based on the NHRC’s continued engagements, including field interactions, stakeholder consultations and reviews of implementation, the Commission has identified a range of persistent and emerging challenges affecting transgender persons. Therefore, the Commission found it necessary and opportune to issue another set of recommendations to further enhance their welfare. Accordingly, all concerned authorities have been requested to implement the recommendations contained in the Advisory and furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) within a period of two months to appraise the Commission of the progress made in implementing the Advisory. The Advisory focuses on ten key areas for action to ensure the welfare of transgender persons. These include integrating gender diversity in national data systems, reviewing laws/ rules/ policies to ensure gender inclusivity, building an inclusive legal framework, right to property, right to education, healthcare, inclusivity at the workplace, safeguarding the rights of children with diverse sex characteristics and gender identities/ expressions, safeguarding the rights of elderly transgender persons and strengthening Garima Greh shelters. The key recommendations are as follows: i) Inclusion of distinct categories such as ‘Intersex’, ‘Transmen’ and ‘Transwomen’ in the upcoming Census of India and other national surveys to ensure accurate and inclusive gender-disaggregated data collection; ii) Review of laws, including the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, Juvenile Justice Act and succession laws, to ensure recognition of self-identified gender and protection of the rights of transgender and intersex persons; iii) Ensuring equal inheritance, succession, housing and property rights for transgender and intersex persons without discrimination; iv) Developing comprehensive SOPs for police and correctional institutions regarding arrest, detention, searches, interrogations, imprisonment, confidentiality and access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender persons; v) Establishing dedicated legal aid cells, helplines and independent grievance-redressal mechanisms for transgender and gender-diverse persons facing discrimination, violence or custodial abuse; vi) Admission of transgender students in educational institutions based on self-identified gender without requiring medical proof, along with the creation of gender-neutral facilities and grievance-redressal mechanisms; vii) Mandatory gender-sensitisation training for teachers, counsellors, police, prison personnel, judicial officers and healthcare professionals to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination; viii) Developing standardised and ethical medical protocols for gender-affirming healthcare, regulation of Sex Reassignment Surgery costs and equal insurance coverage for transgender healthcare needs; ix) Prohibition of coercive or non-consensual medical procedures on intersex children, except in life-saving situations, while ensuring counselling and psychosocial support for parents; x) Promoting inclusive workplaces through gender-neutral facilities, inclusive Human Resource policies, workplace grievance mechanisms and mandatory diversity disclosures, alongside welfare measures for elderly transgender persons; and xi) Simplifying the documentation process and enabling self-identification-based enrolment for elderly transgender persons in welfare schemes and establishing transgender-inclusive old-age homes and community shelters, ensuring privacy, healthcare access, social interaction and emotional well-being. The link to the detailed advisory is: https://nhrc.nic.in/assets/uploads/other_advisories/1779115826_649e8e4ffb525458ca0a.pdf Courtesy : India Education Diary Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiaeducationdiary.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Kolkata civic body issues notices to Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee seeking property documents
The notices were issued under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980, which allows owners of allegedly illegal constructions an opportunity to appear before civic authorities and present their case. KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress-ruled Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has issued notices to Abhishek Banerjee, party’s all India general secretary and MP from Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha (LS) constituency in West Bengal asking him to submit plans of around 21 landed properties to the KMC soon, according to highly-placed sources at the civic body. Sources requesting anonymity said that the KMC’s building department has issued the notices seeking to verify whether the construction works come up on these land match with building plans approved by the corporation concerned. The MP has also been asked to produce the necessary documents in connection with building plans and construction works of these properties allegedly linked to a company named ‘Leaps and Bounds’, sources said. The KMC authorities wanted to know whether these properties are legal. The civic body headed by the Trinamool Congress MLA Firhad Hakim as its mayor served notices on the properties owned by Abhishek or linked to him, asking him or his representatives to appear for a hearing with approved building plans, civic body sources said. The properties include 188A Harish Mukherjee Road, Abhishek’s residence, and an adjacent building on Kalighat Road. The notices were issued under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980, which allows owners of allegedly illegal constructions an opportunity to appear before civic authorities and present their case. An official said the notices followed an internal inquiry by the KMC that found deviations from sanctioned building plans. “We served notices on properties owned by Abhishek Banerjee or having links with him. Some notices were pasted on the facades of the buildings, while others were handed over to people present there. The owners have been asked to appear before the special officer (building) at the KMC headquarters. They can also send their representatives,” an official of the KMC said. Following an instruction of the Suvendu Adhiokari-led first-ever BJP government in West Bengal, the KMC has prepared a list of properties belonging to Abhishek Banerjee individually or jointly with other partners in the KMC area. Neither Abhishek nor his secretary Sumit Roy responded to the WhatsApp messages sent to them by TNIE on Monday seeking their reactions on the matter. The notices were served on Monday evening, around the same time Suvendu speaking at BJP’s victory celebration rally on Camac Street where Abhishek’s office is located, said he had directed senior government officials to obtain property details of four Trinamool leaders, including the Diamond Harbour MP and number two after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. “I had asked the secretary of the municipal affairs department and the commissioner of the KMC (to obtain property details) of four persons,” Suvendu said at the rally before naming them. The first one is Beleghata’s Raju Naskar, who has 18 properties recorded in his name. Second is Kasba’s Sona Pappu, who has 24 properties. Third is ‘Bhatija’ (nephew) Abhishek Banerjee. There are 14 properties registered in the name of the Leaps and Bounds company, four in his own name and six in the name of his father, according to the CM Suvendu. The fourth is the son of Javed Khan, Trinamool Congress’ three-time MLA from Kasba constituency, who has 90 properties, Suvendu claimed. Suvendu had made similar allegations against Abhishek on Saturday when he was addressing a rally for re-election in Falta constituency under the Diamond Harbour LS seat sharpening attacks on Mamata and her nephew. He had also threatened to initiate inquiries against the former CM on the brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor at R G Kar Medical College Hospital and Abhishek’s alleged disproportionate properties. He alleged that Mamata during her regime had used three IPS officers to supress facts and tamper evidences related to the incident. Subhendu Maiti Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Modi government failed to address energy crisis amid war: Opposition on fuel price hikes
Opposition leaders slammed the Modi government over the second consecutive fuel price hike in less than a week. They argued that the profits from the fuel cess, at a time when crude oil prices were low, were not being passed on to the public. Petrol and diesel prices were increased by around 90 paise per litre on May 19, and the state-run oil companies resumed revisions following a nearly four-year freeze. In New Delhi, petrol prices rose to Rs 98.64 per litre from Rs 97.77, while diesel increased to Rs 91.58 from Rs 90.67. The latest revision follows a Rs 3 per litre hike announced on May 15, the first increase in over four years, as soaring global crude oil prices, triggered by the Iran conflict. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights