Vindeswari Rajak (55) s/o late Jugal Rajak is resident of Gouripur Panda Vasti, Suve Bihar village under Singheshwar police station in Madhepur Dist., belongs to Dhobi (SC) community. Vindeswari is employed as technician in Primary Health Centre at Singheshwar.  

His younger son 12 year old Vijai Prakas, a Novaday Student was studying in Aravali Sadan at Sukhasan in Madhepura Dist. Some of the senior students namely Suman Sekhar, Shasiraj, Amit Kumar Mehta and Gangadhar ram who were studying standard 8^th had bad impression on Vijay since last year. These four students used to harass Vijay and threat to beat him. Vijay reported the matter to his parents and later to the School management committee and hostel superintended. Thus two students Amit Kumar Mehta and Gangadhar ram were suspended and later sent out from hostel on 01/08/2010.

The removal from hostel and school by management caused the death of Vijay. On 01/08/2010 about 01.05 am, about 6 persons took Vijay from hostel, dowse with kerosene and burnt him to death near a tower tank at Sukhasan. It is learnt from the victim that subsectors except Suman Sekhar were out from the hostel a day before the incident. Some of the students and school management committee defense that it is an incident of self immolation but not a murder.

The deceased father lodged complaint in Singheshwar on 02/08/2010 against 4 students Suman Sekhar, Shasiraj, Amit Kumar Mehta and Gangadhar ram who suspected to have committed the crime. A case was registered as No. 70/10, u/s 302, 120(B), 34 IPC but the provisions of SC/ST (PoA) Act was not attracted in the FIR. Perpetrators were not arrested. Security and compensation was not provided to the deceased’s family. Charge sheet is not filed.

M. Sakthi, (38), belongs to Dalit community. U. Alapalayam village Dalit community was not having adequate drinking water facility, hence District Administration made arrangements to bring water from the water tanks located in the Alampalayam and Vaduhapalayam. But the caste hindus in these locality considered this will pollute their purity, objected to this government move. Kalimuthu and Senthil Kumar belongs to Kounder community, instigated the caste hindus of these two villages, to raise objection to this government move. On 19/07/2010, Sakthi went to the RDO office and questioned the undue influence of these two people regarding this water issue. He accused them for driving his family members and village people to pillar to post regarding the issue. Kalimuthu and Senthil Kumar felt insulted due to Sakthi’s accusations.

On 21/07/2010 Sakthi was standing at the Vaduhapalayam Bus stop to go to Tarapuram Government Hospital to see his father, who was admitted for eye treatment. Kalimuthu and Senthil Kumar who came across the way in their car, on seeing Sakthi they stopped the car and came unto him. They verbally abused Sakthi referring derogatory regarding caste and threatened to kill him with the car lever. Kalimuthu was involved in illegal sand mining with the support of Tahsildar, and other Police officials. He bribe them very often who were supportive to his activity.

On 22/07/2010, Sakthi filed complaint with the police station. But Kangeyam DSP was negligent to take action on the complaint filed by Sakthi. But on 23/07/2010, he called both the accused and affected Sakthi separately and persuaded them to compromise asking Sakthi to withdraw the complaint. Palladam DSP Thangathurai registered the complaint and filed an FIR against the accused. 

Abinaya D/o Kannan, belongs to Dalit community, is a resident of Nathampattu village, Cuddalore District. Abinaya is studying 5^th standard in Thottampattu Panchayat Union Middle School. Abinaya was not performing well in her studies. Hence on 13/07/2010, as a punishment for the poor performance in her studies, class teacher Shanthi, without due consideration on the emotional aspects of Abinaya, transferred her from 5^th standard to 1^st standard. Abinaya was forced to sit with the 1^st std students. Hence Unable to bear the humiliation and emotional hurt, Abinaya committed suicide on 14/07/2010 in her house.

Director of District Primary Education, Mrs. Vijaya and the Thottappattu panchayat president are biased in favor of the Teacher Shanthi. They are trying to subdue the crime and enabling her escape from the punishment. Mrs. Vijaya and village elders spreading false allegation that Abinaya committed suicide due to Stomach Pain. Abinaya’s parents reportedly said that their daughter have not complained about any stomach pain.

Viswakarma Government School, is in Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi district. On 11/07/2010, Ms. Manjula Tamil Teacher, belongs to dominant caste hindu Aachari community, verbally abused referring derogatory regarding caste and assaulted Dalits students with caste consideration. Hence the parents of the Dalit School Children reported this caste discriminatory verbal abuse and corporal punishment to  the SASY District Human Rights Defender. Hence on 12/07/2010, around 30 parents of affected Dalit Children reported this atrocity with the government officials seeking justice and intervention. In this School Dalit children were discriminated based on caste and subject to corporal punishments very often. Three years ago the Dalit Students strength was around 25 and now the number was reduced to just 9. Dalit Students are denied the scholarship benefits given to the SC/ST/SCA students by the government. Dalit students were charged Rs. 1000 to 1500 extra than the fees to be charged as per Government regulation.

Dalit Students were forced to join the tuition conducted by the school teachers by paying Rs. 110. Total strength of the students is more than 1000 but only the Dalit students were subject to corporal punishments. Accused teacher Manjula need to be implicated under the proper sections of the SC/ST Act. Government need to issue an Government Order prohibiting the naming of Schools under caste line.

Brief details of the incident:

Kona Sasidhar, Joint Collector-East Godavari district has come to Sub-Collectors’s office at Rajhamundry on 7^th July 2010 to follow up the land procurement process for Adi Kavi Nannayya University (AKNU).   As part of the process he had a meeting with the protection committee of AKNU.   The committee members are as follows: (i) Madduri Shiva Subba Rao(50), Brahmin by caste (ii) Bhaskar Ram (iii) Krushnarayalu Kapu by caste (iv) VVS Krishna Kumar (v) Somu Veera Raju  (vi) Dr. N. Ramana Chowdary.   All the members are non dalits.

During the meeting there was a serious discussion on the allotment of land and the Joint Collector declined to allot a particular piece of land as it belonged to Scheduled Castes and as such it would be against rules to allot the land.    Madduri Shiva Subba Rao the convener of the committee lost his temper on the Joint – Collector.   Siva Subba Rao shouted at the Joint Collector, “You SC! From where did you get this courage to oppose us? After all you got IAS due to SC reservation. I can earn your one month’s salary in just 2 hours”.

The Joint-Collector lodged a complaint in III Town PS of Rajahmundry on 7^th July.  A case was registered U/s 3(1)(x) of SC/ST Act and 353 & 506 of IPC against Shiva Subba  Rao.   Though the sections were non-bailable, he was granted bail immediately by  Mr. Mahanthy a judge belonging to Brahmin community on 9^th morning on the grounds that he has to attend the State Bar Council meeting on 10^th and 11^th July 2010 at Hyderabad and that he hails  from a reputed family.   

The State Bar Council has 25 members out of which only one member belongs to scheduled caste.    Mr.Shiva Subba Rao being the member Bar Council has pressed for a resolution in the Bar Council meeting to condemn the booking of criminal case on him.   It was opposed by the lone member belonging to scheduled caste stating that Mr.Shiva Subba Rao was involved in the incident as the convener of the protection committee and not in his capacity as an advocate.    Despite this opposition by the lone scheduled caste member of the Bar Council, the Council on the last moment of the second day of the meeting passed a resolution in favour of Mr.Shiva Subba Rao urging “All bar associations to protest the incident by wearing red badges on 14^th July”.

A Joint Action Committee (JAC) with all dalit and like-minded organizations including DSS was formed immediately on 8^th July and since then continuous protest activities are being conducted at Kakinada, Amalapuram and Rajahmundry.    DSS is playing key role in the JAC.   Likewise a call for “Chalo Rajahmundry” on 24^th July was given by Bojja Tharakam, prominent Dalit Leader & Senior Advocate of High Court and Mr.  Harsha Kumar, Member of Parliament.   Further, two member committees consisting of the high court advocates were sent by the AP SC/ST Advocates Association. They probed into the incident and have demanded for immediate cancellation of bail given to Mr.Shiva Subba Rao and action against the judge for granting bail.         

Background:

The protection committee of AKNU was making all plans to acquire and alienate 120 acres belonging to the dalits.   The protection committee with the support of the Member of Parliament Mr. Undavalli Arun Kumar (Brahmin by caste) was insisting the joint-collector to procure this 120 acres of land for the university.   This land was given to the dalits (madigas) long back during the time the British rule in 1938.   Since then the dalits have been in possession and enjoyment of the land.   Since the land belonged to dalits the Joint-Collector was not in favour of alienating this land to the University.   Even the previous Collector was transferred as he tried to give back the land to the dalits.  The land has caught the focus of the non-dalits because, its value has increased abundantly and moreover it is in the prime area and it was a ploy of the non-dalits to deprive the dalits of their land in the guise of public purpose of allotting that land to University.

Perspective of the Dominant Communities and the Government:

The incident of insulting the dalit Joint Collector smacks of the contempt the non-dalits have towards dalits even if they are in high positions such as Joint Collector a district officer.   The dominant communities attack, murder or rape ordinary dalits on silly pretexts while they humiliate openly on the reservations, if it is a dalit officer or employee.   This particular joint collector has got 35^th rank in Civil Services Examination and was selected under open category. 

In this incident it is pity that the victim joint collector had to fight his own case and the government has not come forward to protect an important sincere, honest official.  It is necessary that even the Government has to take immediate action on the perpetrators of the crime for openly opposing the constitution by commenting on the reservations.