The Hindu : National : Atrocities on Dalits: Manmohan urged to convene meet

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Wednesday, Nov 29, 2006
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Atrocities on Dalits: Manmohan urged to convene meet

Special Correspondent

Brinda Karat raises Khairlangi killing

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a high-level meeting of State Home Ministers to tackle atrocities on Dalits in the country in a mission mode.

Her request came in the Rajya Sabha during zero hour.

Raising the issue of the caste-based killing in Khairlangi village of Bhandara district of Maharashtra about a month ago, Ms. Karat appealed to all political parties to close ranks in dealing with the growing atrocities on Dalits.

She said the Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the incident should be made "time-bound." There should be should be fast-track courts to speed up cases of attacks on Dalits and bring the guilty to book.

Ms. Karat said the Khairlangi tragedy could have been averted had the administration and the police been sensitive and taken timely action. Instead, for two weeks no case was registered against the alleged perpetuators of the crime. Later, only two low-ranking police personnel were arrested and they were let off on bail. The post-mortem report of the two women did not reflect the atrocities committed on them including rape, she charged.

She said when the Dalits came on the streets to protest the lack of Government action and the "doctoring" of autopsy reports, they were arrested. Even today they are in jail labelled as naxalites. "What is this? If people take to the streets, they are called naxalites. The Special Inspector-General told me when I visited the place that they were arrested for levelling allegations without evidence." Associating with Ms. Karat, members of the BJP and the Samajwadi Party demanded that those agitating for justice should be released. Sushma Swaraj (BJP) said the incident was doubly condemnable.

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