The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : CPI (M) wants House panel to visit to Surpur

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Saturday, Jul 28, 2007
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Karnataka - Bangalore

CPI (M) wants House panel to visit to Surpur

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded that a joint legislature committee visit Surpur taluk in Gulbarga district to instil confidence among Dalits who are gripped by fear psychosis due to the attacks from upper caste people.

Addressing presspersons here, CPI (M) State secretary G.N. Nagaraj and party State secretariat member Maruti Manpade argued that such a step was necessary to establish the rule of law in Surpur taluk, which was frequently witnessing atrocities against Dalits with support from local political leaders.

A delegation of CPI (M) central leaders, led by a party MP, would also visit Surpur taluk in the first week of August and take up the matter with the UPA Government, they said.

They alleged that upper caste people had imposed a social boycott on Dalits at Allala village in Surpur taluk. The trouble started on Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14) when Dalits in the village fetched water from a public well as the borewell in their colony had dried up.

Flashpoint

The situation reached a flashpoint when an upper caste landlord and his supporters murdered a poor Dalit farmer, Paramanna, who was cultivating his field as a tenant, the CPI (M) leaders alleged.

Instead of bringing the guilty to book, the police booked seven false cases against 18 Dalits at the behest of the district in-charge Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, they alleged.

The police also assaulted several Dalits, including the grief-stricken sons of Paramanna.

Tension rose with supporters of the Minister observing a bandh in Surpur taluk, the CPI (M) leaders said.

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