The Hindu : Dalits allege police harassment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Dalits allege police harassment

By Our Staff Reporter

NAMAKKAL, FEB. 13. The long struggle by Dalit women self-help group members for a new SHG building in the Dalit colony of Pattanam Muniyappampalayam in Rasipuram union turned hostile today following a pre-dawn police raid and arrest of eight Dalit men who supported the women's cause.

To execute a warrant issued by the RDO in connection with the dispute, a team led by a sub-inspector arrived in the colony in the wee hours. When the police tried to interrogate a Dalit, the women described it as "harassment" and laid siege to their vehicle for nearly five hours. Following an SOS, a police contingent descended on the colony.

The Dalit women alleged that policemen who came in five vehicles "pushed and beat'' them up. "When I asked reason for my husband's arrest, the policemen pushed me down and beat me with a stick," said Palaniammal. Other women also alleged that they were "pushed and pulled'' and humiliated. The contingent included just a woman constable. However, the Tiruchengode DSP, Pon. Chandrasekaran, however, dismissed the charges, saying they handled the situation with restraint. Eight Dalits were arrested , he said.

Simmering discontent

The construction of building in the reserved village panchayat has been an issue of simmering discontent. Despite repeated requests from the women, a majority of whom live in the Dalit colony, the district administration located the building in a caste Hindu area. "How do you expect us to use the infrastructure (built under Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana -II costing of Rs.1 lakh) when the Dalits are not permitted to buy even milk from the milk society," asked Chitra, an SHG member.

"Neither the village president, a Dalit woman, nor the district administration has considered our claims," they said.

"Dalit women members are farm labourers and return late in the evening. Hence, it will not be possible to go to this newly-constructed building, located half a km away from the colony," Suguna said.

When the Dalit women identified a suitable site for the building in their colony, a resident raised an objection claiming it as pathway to his house. "Hence, I referred the matter to the Project Officer, DRDA, who, after verifying documents, ordered construction of the building near the panchayat office," Veerammal, village president, said. She said that it was unfair to demand the building in the Dalit colony as a few SHGs were "very much" functioning in the village. "There is no untouchability and no one has prevented any Dalit member from utilising the infrastructure," she said.

But with the Dalit women members expressing apprehension over using this building for their SHG activities, the very objective, empowerment of rural women, for which the infrastructure has been created, remains defeated.

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