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Tuesday, Feb 09, 2010
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Orissa Dalit families seek justice

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: Failing to get justice in the home constituency of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, dalit families belonging to washermen community here on Monday pleaded for respite from casteist ostracisation.

“We have been imposed a fine of Rs. 1,50,000 for return to our own village. The only fault of ours’ is that we demanded Rs. 50 for washing clothes of a person throughout the year. Earlier we were paid Rs. 20 annually to do the demeaning work,” says Pradip Kumar Sethi of Thuruburai village under Shergarh block of Ganjam district.

Narrating the unending agony they had to face, Mr. Sethi says: “our children have already discontinued their education, women members are living separately and male members are running from pillar to post to put an end to the ostracisation order delivered by the upper caste villagers.”

“Members of 13 families have reached a stage from where they could lose their mental balance. We sat on a dharna in front of tehesildar office, approached Revenue Divisional Commissioner and lodged a complaint in police station. Administration remained apathetic to the issue,” says Bhimsen Sethi, another victim.

“Chief Minister at a stroke of pen raised thousands of rupees in salary of government employees across the State. He raised daily wage of labourers. Was our demand unjustified to demand Rs. 50 to wash clothes for one year?” he has quipped.

Two persons from washermen communities say all dalit families had already paid Rs. 21,000 to earn peace in the village.

However, they have been attacked by unscrupulous elements in the village.

“We are not allowed to harvest our crop this year,” says Pradip Sethi.

Advisor of Orissa Gotimukti Andolan (OGA) that spearheads movement against such casteist discrimination, Baghambar Patnaik, says, “this is a shame for administration which is listening to diktat of upper caste villagers. It seems these washermen families do not have any rights to choose a profession.”

“This is not the lone case. For past one decade, hundreds of barbers’ families in Puri district have been fighting to defend their self-esteem by refusing to wash feet and cut hair of upper caste people at paltry annual payment,” Mr. Patnaik points out.

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