The Hindu : Nimbarga, a hotbed of caste politics?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Nimbarga, a hotbed of caste politics?

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA MAY 31. An uneasy calm prevails in Nimbarga town in Aland taluk, which witnessed clashes between dalits and members of the upper castes over the disruption of water supply and an alleged attempt by two dalit youths to molest an upper caste women.

Although the immediate reason for this animosity between the two groups appears to be the vain bid by two dalit youths to reportedly molest a married woman belonging to the Veerashaiva community when she was asleep outside her hut, other reasons have also fuelled the hatred between the two groups.

Enquiries with the caste Hindus and the dalits point out that the disruption of drinking water supply from the two tanks located on the outskirts of the town has created much of the acrimony between the two groups.

The pipelines supplying water to the town pass through the Dalit Colony before entering the localities dominated by Kabbaligas and other communities.

For the past few weeks, water supply has been disrupted in the localities dominated by the Kabbaligas and others, and the people living there charge the dalits with having deliberately damaged the pipelines to ensure water supply to their colony.

It is also alleged that the authorities concerned were reportedly prevented from drawing water from a borewell in the Dalit Colony to supply it to other localities.

However, the drinking water problem in Nimbarga has not taken a serious turn as some water sources continue to yield water.

People from the upper castes hold the dalit youths responsible for the widening gulf between the two groups.

They point out that incidents of misbehaviour with women is on a rise in the town, and allege that a few weeks ago, an attempt was made to molest a married woman from an upper caste.

Following the incident, the woman reportedly left the village for her parent's place and has not returned. However, the police maintain that no complaint has been registered in this regard.

At this point, another bid to molest a married woman from an upper caste led to frayed tempers, and the members of the upper castes decided to take up the issue with the police.

It is learnt that when they went to the police station to file a complaint, an altercation erupted between some caste Hindus and dalits, and six persons were injured in the stone pelting which ensued.

Upper caste people contend that while the police did register the case filed by the dalits and arrested the accused, so far, no attempts have been made to apprehend the two dalit youths, who have been identified by the woman.

The district administration made an attempt to resolve the conflict, and the Deputy Commissioner, Anjum Parvez, and senior police officials visited Nimbarga and held discussions with the elders of the communities involved.

Nimbarga is an important town which has immensely contributed to the dalit movement.

The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) had a strong presence here some time ago before it disintegrated.

Also, Aland has produced many dalit leaders including the State convener of the DSS, D.G. Sagar, who hails from a village near Nimbarga.

Prakash Moolbharathi, Chakravarthy, Basanna Singhe, and Dattatreya Ikkalki are the other leaders from this region.

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