The price Dalits pay for dancing? No home to rest now

Families beaten black and blue, houses set on fi re by 'elite' caste villagers for joining a religious procession

NT Correspondent

Haveri: In a shocking case of caste-based discrimination, two Dalit families were allegedly beaten up by some upper-caste people in Nandihalli village in Haveri district.

According to sources, a group of children and youth from the two families were found dancing during a religious procession to which the 'elite' caste people objected and said that Dalit families cannot join their procession. A religious procession was taken out during the Basaveshwara fair on Sunday evening in Nandihalli village. As the procession went through a residential colony of Dalits, a group of youngsters joined it and began dancing with the others while entering the temple.

However, a group of villagers, who took objection to this, abused the youngsters and warned the Dalit residents to stay away from the temple and fair. It was learnt that both the groups had a verbal argument due to this. Late in the night, a group of 'upper-caste' villagers barged into at least two houses and allegedly assaulted the family members including women and children.

Ramesh, one of the victims of the assault, said that his family was fast asleep when a group of men entered their house and started beating everyone. "My girls were scared and started crying as the men started beating me and my wife. A neighbour's family was also assaulted at the same time," Ramesh said.

Unconvinced even after beating up women and children and other defenceless people, the miscreants allegedly tried to burn down their houses. It was also alleged in the complaint that some banners of BR Ambedkar were also torn by the villagers during the attack.

"The group started throwing logs of wood and even poured petrol on our house before setting it ablaze. We are now staying at our relatives' house," Ramesh's neighbour added. It is worth noting that the district is where Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's constituency, Shiggaon is located.

The police visited the spot and inspected it before taking up a case. According to sources from police, two persons have been picked up for an inquiry in connection with the violent act. A complaint was filed against 30 villagers at the Halgeri police station, sources added.

"Cases have been booked under the SCs and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police have started gathering information about the accused who are still absconding," a police official said. Reacting to the burning of the houses of Dalit families, Dalit civil society members said that whenever Dalits question people above them in the caste hierarchy, they are subjected to brutalities.

In this case, heated arguments had broken out between Dalits and villagers because children from the former community had participated in a procession of the deity Dyamavva taken out by the latter. Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) state convenor Mohanraj was echoing Ambedkar’s language when he spoke about Dalits “reclaiming human character.”

“They’ve started questioning the oppressors and asking them why we shouldn’t be part of mainstream acts like temple visits. These questions are met with atrocities like murder, rape and the like,” he said, adding that Karnataka was second only to UP when it comes to atrocities against Dalits. Mohanraj said that the atrocity happening so close to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s constituency Shiggaon was not surprising.

He pointed out something similar had happened back in 2014 when the government school in which then CM Siddaramaiah had studied in Kupegala, some 35 kilometres from Mysuru city, had witnessed a boycott by Vokkaliga children because their parents didn’t want them eating food prepared by a Dalit cook.