Dalits protest against discrimination in Odisha
KalingaTimes Correspondent
Kendrapara, March 6: Alleging that they are being discriminated
against and treated as second grade citizens both by the government
agencies and upper-caste people, hundreds of dalits staged a noisy
protest rally in front of the district collectorate here today.
"Poor and innocent dalits are now at the receiving ends of atrocity
and torture and the offenders are influential and powerful upper caste
people. The protectors of law are watching silently as poor lower
people suffer. The civil and police administration has done precious
little to undo the injustice done to them", the agitating dalits told
reporters.
"Of late a reign of terror has been unleashed upon the dalits. Even
the women and children have become the victims of atrocity. Nothing
has been done to heal the wounded the psyche of dalits", charged Ashok
Mallik, secretary, Republican youth front, which spearheaded the
agitation.
Dalit women were victims of sexual assault in Rankala village last
month. Mob torched down the dalit dwellings in the said village. Apart
from effecting couple of arrest in the arson incident, police have
closed its eyes on the sexual assault case, he told.
Dalit women cooks have been beaten up and driven out of a school in
Rajnagar area purely on caste consideration. The victim women fearing
retaliation have fled the village. In Mahadedia village under Rajnagar
tehsil, the dalits are being socially ostracized and are being treated
as untouchables by upper caste villagers.
For strange reason, the grievance petitions and FIRs lodged with the
administrative and police authorities have been ignored, Mallik
alleged.
The district and police administration is maintaining partisan stand.
The influential offenders, who are well connected politically, are
being protected.
If this sort of caste bias continues, dalits would be forced to take
law unto their hands, he warned.
The dalit leader also assailed a ruling party MLA and MP for
maintaining stoic silence to the ongoing spell of dalit atrocity.
Bound by political compulsion, these BJD leaders are yet to utter a
word to assuage the morale of dalits, he concluded.
enying the allegations leveled by dalits, Kendrapara Collector
Sisirkanta Panda however said administration and police have due note
of dalits' plight. Action against the perpetrators of atrocity has
been initiated as per law, he added.
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