The Hindu : Dalit groups on the warpath

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Dalit groups on the warpath

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL June 22. Dalit organisations have threatened to launch a stir, demanding action against those who "ill-treated" the TDP district secretary, Y. Jayaraju, at Laddagiri recently.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the dalit leaders -- Balasundaram, Madhava Swamy, Tyagaaju, Madhava Swamy (corporator) and Prakasam -- said prevention of leaders of other parties from entering the village indicated the highest form of feudalism practised there. Everybody had a right to profess his political or religious ideology, but such freedom was not available in Laddagiri.

They said the incident was a blot on the Congress party since its party leaders were responsible for the attack on a dalit leader. They said dalit leaders were not given due recognition by the Congress party in the district. Most of the leaders had made to the Assembly by virtue of reservation and not by the generosity of the Congress leadership. They recalled that even the former Chief Minister, Damodaram Sanjivaiah, was humiliated by feudal lords in the district.

The dalit leaders found fault with the TDP for not taking the incident seriously since the attack took place on a dalit leader. Had the victim been a non-dalit or an upper caste leader, the TDP would have reacted sharply. They decried the attitude of the victim, Mr. Jayaraju, saying that he did not lodge a complaint despite an attack on him. They said according to their information, Mr. Jayaraju was assaulted by the mob at Laddagiri, but he claimed that there had been no attack. They said if a leader of the stature of Mr. Jayaraju feared to lodge a complaint with the police one could think of the fate of a poor person.

Dalit organisations planned a demonstration at the Collectorate on June 24, demanding action against persons responsible and the abettors. They asked Mr. Jayaraju to lodge a complaint with the police so that a case under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act could be booked.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jayaraju reiterated that he was not assaulted physically by the mob. But the mob had prevented him from entering the village and holding a meeting. The vehicle was damaged and one of his followers was injured. Mr. Jayaraju said he would fight the issue politically since the rivalry between them and the Congress leaders was not personal. He would fight against the undemocratic trends in Laddagiri by taking the issue to the Human Rights Commission, he said.

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