By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: A protest demonstration was organised on Saturday outside the Rajasthan Bhavan in the capital demanding justice to the victims of mass killings by the dominant caste in Naguar district.
Dalits and Adivasis, women activists, advocates and concerned citizens of the country from different Civil Society organisations and all those in support of the cause of marginalized people, gathered to condemn the killings of 3 dalits by the dominant Jat caste on Thursday.
Three Dalits were mowed down under tractors and a dozen others were wounded following the killings. The dispute over a piece of land turned violent when the Jats held a Panchayat to resolve the issue and summoned the dalits to attend. Fearing attacks from the Jats who had gathered there, the dalits fired at them which led to death of one.
Following this, the crowd at Jat panchayat went berserk, attacked the dalits, bulldozed their houses, assaulted their women and chased the fleeing men on tractors and 3 were crushed to death while 14 others, including six women, were injured. On the next day, hundreds of armed attackers reached the hospital and surrounded it to prevent doctors from treating the injured dalits. Police force from half-a-dozen police stations had to be called to ensure medical treatment to the injured, some of whom were later taken to Ajmer.
“Such acts of violence and humiliation not only violate basic human rights of the dalits but also reflect upon the highly casteist feudal mindset that continues to prevail in our society. What essentially furthers such atrocities is the impunity that has continued in the cases of caste atrocities,” the protesters said in a memorandum addressed to the Resident Commissioner of Rajasthan.
Protesters reminded about cases of Dalit atrocities in which the perpetrators of violence against hundreds of dalits in the massacres at Bathani Tola, Khairlanji, Laxmanpur Bathe, Baghana walked away unpunished. “The silence of the larger society on the issue of caste has contributed to the nurturing of this culture of caste atrocities, which has taken such an ugly face for the dalits. Caste and its implications for the dalits need to be acknowledged by all and condemned strongly,” the statement further added.
The dispute relates to a 20 ha farm land claimed by dalit families of Ratnaram Meghwal, Gutaram Meghwal and Khemaram Meghwal, but disputed by the family of Chimnaram Jat. The row has been pending in court for years. Matters reached a head when Dangawas’s Jats held a panchayat and summoned the Meghwals. The dalit families, fearing that the Jats were assembling to attack them, fired shots at the two men sent to call them.
One Rampal died on spot. The crowd at jat panchayat then went berserk, attacking the Meghwals, bulldozing their houses, assaulting their women and chasing the fleeing men on tractors. Ratnaram Meghwal (65), Pancharam (60) and Pokaram (45) were crushed to death while 14 others, including six women, were injured.
Later, hundreds of armed attackers reached the hospital at Merta City and surrounded it to prevent doctors from treating the injured dalits. Police force from half-a-dozen police stations had to be called to ensure medical treatment to the injured, some of whom were later taken to Ajmer.
Dangawas’s six dalit women being treated in Ajmer’s JLN hospital alleged that the attackers molested them. Some of them suffered multiple fractures in hands and legs. A 25-year-old woman wept in the hospital speaking about how the attackers tore off her blouse and tried to strip her on the disputed land. She got 15 stitches on her head. It is understood that they tried to rape and abused Dalit women, tried to remove ‘ghaghra’ (skirt) and tried to thrust a stick inside. They even pulled up them by their hairs for about 50 metres, tore off clothes and hit their legs with iron-rods.
While denouncing the “excesses committed on the dalit community by the dominant Jats and the acts of omission and commission by the state administration,” the protesters put forward fllowing demands in the memorandum submitted:
1. Immediate arrest of al the 200 accused involved as they may threat the family members of the deceased and others victims and witnesses. All the accused should be identified and arrested at the earliest, if the identification is not possible then as per SCs and STs (PoA) Rules 1995, collective fine shall be imposed on the entire village.
2. Investigation by CBI, because the accused belongs to the dominant caste and are politically powerful. Even the current investigating officer Mr. PunaramJat is unable to conduct fair investigation.
3. Effective protection to the family members of the deceased and others injured.
4. That all the Dalit victims must receive medical treatment in good hospitals with all the facilities so that they recover from their injuries and their lives are saved.
5. Immediate action by the Government under Section 4 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against the officials of Medta City police Station for willful negligence in providing protection with immediate departmental action in the form of suspension and for not taking immediate action at the time of the incident as the the police station is within 3 km of the place of incident.
6. The government should confiscate the disputed land under section 183 B of Rajasthan kastkari Act and not under section 145 otherwise the benefit would go to the dominant caste and the dalits would be landless.
7. That the village sarpanch, secretary, assistant secretary, patwari and others who were aware of the conspiracy and the incident should be prosecuted under criminal law and departmental action should be taken against them for their wilful negligence.
8. Adequate police security should be deployed to monitor violence and ensure peace in the village.
9. Establish Special Court in the Jaamb village for the speedy trial of the case under SCs and STs [PoA] Act 1989 and ensuring the completion of the trial within 90 days.
10. Immediate compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to be paid to the dependents of the deceased.
11. Pension to the widow of deceased shall be started immediately and employment to one member of the deceased and agricultural land shall also be given as per the PoA Rules 1995.
12. Home minister shall take the responsibility in failure to curb violence against Dalits in the state of Rajasthan and should immediately resign.
Among others, those who were present in the protest included:
Abirami K – NDMJ/NCDHR
AC Michael,-Former Member; Minorities Commission Delhi;
Amar Singh Amar-Samajik Nyaya Manch;
Asha Kowtal – AIDMAM
Jagmati Sangwan-AIDWA;
Kavita Krishana, AIPWA;
Kiran Shaheen-WSS & Nagrik Ekta Manch;
Mansi Sharma, Activist;
Navaid Hamid-Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians – MOEMIN
ND Pancholi-PUCL;
Paul Divakar-NCDHR;
Ramesh Nathan – NDMJ/NCDHR
Satish Surana- Centre for Dalit Rights, Rajasthan
Shabnam Hashmi-ANHAD;
Vijay Pratap-Socialist Front;
Zulaikha Jabin- Shambhawi