Karnataka - Bijapur   

Ostracised families demand justice

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR, OCT. 13. The families of the Bhovivaddar community that were ostracised by other members of their community launched an indefinite dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here today.

The 10 families residing in Vaddar Galli at Minimadar Oni locality here have been facing a social boycott for the past three months because they were part of self-help groups.

Water connection cut

Kamalabai Hubballi, Shanthavva Padtare, Sunanda Honnutagi, Daaneshwari Odeyar, Shettavva Atalatti, Yallavva, Kashibai Bandivaddar, and Huligevva Honnutagi, who were among the protesters, told presspersons that their water connections had been cut.

They also said that they were skilled in masonry work but had been denied jobs at stone crushing units after they were ostracised.

Some of them had found jobs at construction sites but the contractors had been pressured to relieve them of their jobs.

Alleging that Ramu Hospet and some of his associates were behind the boycott, they said that nobody in the locality was interacting with them.

The community members were forced to pay hefty fines if they interacted with the ostracised families.

`Official apathy'

Though they had brought the matter to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Mohsin, and the Superintendent of Police, Seemant Kumar Singh, nothing concrete had been initiated to end their problems, they alleged.

The Deputy Commissioner had asked the Bijapur tahsildar to conduct an inquiry into the issue, but that was mere eyewash, they charged.

The women said that they would sit on a "fast unto death" agitation if the administration failed to take action against the guilty.

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Ostracised families demand justice

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