Villagers say that authorities haven't taken proper action against the accused and that even local media has shown apathy.
Dalit villagers in Telangana's Pardi (Supplied)
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 19 June, the All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA) condemned “upper caste” people from Telangana’s Pardi village for threatening people from the Scheduled Castes (SCs) for daring to celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti. Though the three accused were arrested, they are out on bail and the villagers continue to be boycotted.
The association said in their statement that people from the privileged ‘Savarna’ caste in Pardi village in Telangana’s Nirmal district allegedly opposed an initiative by the SC community to commemorate Ambedkar Jayanti. Further, when they went ahead with the celebration, Dalit people were boycotted by the entire village.
“Plans were underway to commemorate the occasion by erecting a compound around Babasaheb’s statue, a gesture deeply rooted in respect and reverence. However, members of the upper caste population opposed this initiative. The women took the initiative to celebrate the birth anniversary and started building the compound themselves, but the upper castes obstructed the construction,” said AIISCA in the statement.
Despite being threatened that they will be killed, the villagers went ahead to celebrate the Jayanti on 14 April and build a compound and have been facing its consequences since then. “Savarna Hindu insulted the women of the SC community, threatened to kill them and challenged the community’s right to celebrate, creating tension. This conflict underscores the continuing social divisions and the ongoing struggle for equality and inclusiveness,” the association said in the statement.
As the oppressed people went to police and filed a complaint of atrocity under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, three people – Ramlu Dhotula, Sainath Sugkari , Sainath Engmud – are now out on bail.
Talking about the tension in the village and being threatened, one of the villagers told South First, “For the last twenty years, there has been no fights. We built the Ambedkar statue with our money and we wished to celebrate but the men has abused us in unparliamentary language.”
She further said that they don’t give any respect to women and asked “how are we supposed to live amid this? ” The villagers say that authorities have taken no action and that even local media has shown nothing but apathy.
Speaking to South First, Rohini Bhadarge, Vice President of AIISCA said that some influential person in the village boycotted the villagers from the SC community and said would levy a fine if anyone employs them. “The incident became serious after a powerful individual in the village boycotted the entire village. Villagers had filed a atrocitiy case against the individual after which they were boycotted. The villagers have no access to ration or employment in the village. A ₹5000 fine is levied on employers who employee any of the boycotted villagers.”
She also stressed that authorities have taken no action and that the association is planning to meet with the boycotted villagers soon.
Expanding on the violence faced by Dalit people in the village, the association’s statement said, “They are likely to be attacked by upper caste people because there are very few houses of the SC community in that village and such injustices are frequent…reports of discrimination, including the practice of untouchability, and harassment of women based on their clothing have emerged.”
Statement Against Upper Castes opposition to the CELEBRATION OF BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR JAYANTI#Telangana pic.twitter.com/j4HgRbUO29
— AIISCA (@AIISCA1957) June 19, 2024
Stressing on the need for urgent attention and intervention from local authorities to ensure the well-being and safety of all community members, the statement further said, :”Now the upper caste casteists have again created an atmosphere of tension and fear in the village. Casteists are walking around with knives in Dalit settlements and can kill any Dalit person. If the Telangana government as well as the police do not pay attention to this serious incident, the consequences may be dire.”
Lastly, it asked for authorities to ensure that the boycott of the community is immediately abandoned and the right to celebrate Ambedkar
Jayanti is safeguarded.
(Edited by Neena)
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