Karnataka - Bidar

Dalits are at the receiving end here

By Rishikesh Bahadur Desai

BIDAR, APRIL 25. Enakur, a sleepy village on the Humnabad-Bhalki Road, has a number of wells. But these wells are not accessible to Dalits. Farmers prefer to bring labourers from Bhalki and Humnabad, which are 20 km. away, rather than employ Dalits, most of whom are without a job for most of the year. And last year, some college-going Dalit youth who wanted to eat breakfast at a village hotel, were beaten up. Reconciliation efforts of the district administration and police have only added to the problems of the Dalits.

Water is the most powerful weapon to settle scores in these dry areas. The zilla panchayat's water supply scheme has two valves — one is meant for the Dalit colony. Dalits allege that this was deliberately done. "Till last year, we had regular water supply as there was only one valve. But then the village leaders got the waterman sacked. They bifurcated the water supply scheme by adding another valve to ensure that Dalits got water only after the rest of the village got it."

Recently, the Dalits had to face the wrath of the upper castes when their children tried to sit along with other children during a mass feeding in the village Dargah's annual fair. "They sent word with the village heralder and some Muslim leaders. Otherwise, we don't go anywhere uninvited,'' says Maruthi, who runs a primary school in the village. Some people noticed Rajkumar and Manik, two Dalit children who were eating along with others, snatched their plates while they were eating and threw them. Some youths lodged a complaint under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act at the Khatakchincholi Police Station against the accused, Vijay Kumar Konigutti, on April 9. This led to a furore. Lingayats, Komtis, Vokkaligas and Uppars of the village staged a "rasta rook" for two hours in protest against the police for registering their case. Nearly 1,000 people took part in the agitation and shouted slogans against Dalits. "We heard these in a loudspeaker and lodged another complaint against Prabhurao Huchche, the leader who raised them," says Rajkumar one of the youth.

Fortunately for Dalits, Abdul Sahab Dolle of the village has allowed them to draw water from his irrigation pumpset in his farm, despite the entire village opposing him. They bathe, wash clothes, and drink water here.

Blackmail alleged

Anand Devappa, President of the Veerashaiva Yuva Okkoota, which organised rallies in Enakur and Hulsoor feels, that the Prevention of Atrocities Act is grossly misused. "It is time we have an Act to prevent atrocities on upper castes," he says.

Mr. Devappa, a resident of Bhalki, also denied that there was a social boycott in the village. "Some Dalits of the village are involved in blackmailing the upper castes for money and other favours. They are threatening the Lingayats in the village," he said.

He alleged that some Dalit youths were involved in eve-teasing in the village and the nearby college.

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