Dalits voice grievances at monthly grievance meet

Dalits voice grievances at monthly grievance meet

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 4: Dalit leader M. Koosappa has accused the Uppinangady police of not registering an FIR against people who assaulted a Dalit called Mudara during the Mosaru Kudike celebrations on Aug 21. 

Speaking at the monthly SC/ST grievance meeting held by the DK District Police in the meeting hall of the office of the Superintendent of Police on September 4, Koosappa said that the victim had lodged a complaint with the Circle Inspector and the Assistant Superintendent of Police, but no action has been taken against the accused.

He also complained that Snehithara Kalasangha, a cultural organization has encroached upon a pathway that forms part of the Dalit colony while constructing a bhajana mandira at Addabail in Kenya. He said that the police had directed them to sort out the issue in civil court. 

M. A. Nayak, the president of Adidravida Samaja Seva Sangha, accused the Bantwal rural police of registering a false complaint with the tahsildar against Dharmanna Nayak, stating that he had encroached upon someone else’s land. He said that the SI had registered this case against Dharmanna Nayak although the case has been peacefully solved. 

He also accused the police of refusing to take action against a group of people who had assaulted Ramesh, a member of the SC/ST community. 

Balakrishna of Chelur, Bantwal said that an SC/ST colony in his area, which has been in existence since 1978, still lacks basic amenities such as street lights, drainage system, roads, and so on.
Vishwanath of Bantwal complained that the Social Welfare Department distributed only Rs. 200 among the students instead of providing them two sets of uniforms as usual. He also demanded that SC/ST students under Town Municipal Council limits should receive equal scholarships as SC/ST students under MCC limits. 

Somanath, the former president of the Zilla Panchayat, said that Dalits are ready to launch intense protests demanding the rewriting of the name of Ambedkar Bhavan, which was set up at Uppinangady PU College.