Other States
After Husaipur, Chandupura Dalits attacked
Mohammed Iqbal
Dalit houses stoned for two hours after a family's goat strays into a
Meo Muslim's farm
Police have not registered FIR, Dalits allegedly pressurised to
compromise with Meo community
Dalits offered meagre compensation of Rs.5,000 at a meeting in nearby
Pipalkhera village
JAIPUR: Hot on the heels of fierce violence against Dalits at Husaipur
village in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the dominant Meo Muslims have
allegedly attacked Dalit houses, leaving over a dozen people injured,
and damaged their property at Chandupura village in adjacent Bharatpur
district. Many Dalit families have fled the village after violence.
The houses of Dalits, belonging to the poor Jatav community, were
stoned for two hours by a violent mob on Wednesday after a goat
belonging to a Dalit family strayed into a Meo Muslim's farm. The Meo
community allegedly damaged Dalit houses and targeted the livestock. A
buffalo's eye was pierced, while the "culpable goat" was seriously
injured.
The police so far have not registered an FIR against the miscreants in
connection with the violence and are instead reportedly exerting
pressure on the Dalits to arrive at a compromise with the Meo
community. The Dalits were offered a meagre compensation of Rs.5,000
at a meeting in the nearby Pipalkhera village, situated 3 km away,
late on Wednesday night.
The small Chandupura village forms part of the Mewat region and falls
under the jurisdiction of the Gopalgarh police station. It is situated
in Kaman Assembly constituency which is represented by Congress MLA
Zahida, daughter of the legendary Meo leader Taiyab Hussain.
According to Bharatpur district administration sources, the Special
Task Force been deployed at Chandupura. The situation in the village
continues to be tense. Among the injured Dalits, the condition of at
least six persons was stated to be serious.
Dalit activists alleged here that stone-throwing happened in the
presence of police and civil officers. Instead of extending relief to
the victims, the administration reportedly is busy organising
compromise meetings, allegedly at the instance of influential Meo
political leaders.
The Jaipur-based Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR), which swung into
action soon after receiving the report of violence, said the police
refusal to register an FIR was "in blatant contravention" of the
Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act, 1989, which mandates immediate distribution of relief and arrest
of the culprits.
CDR patron P. L. Mimroth said local Meo leaders shielding the
assailants and pressuring the Dalits to accept the "insulting
conditions" of compromise include Block Congress Committee president
Akhtar Hussain and Khedagaon panchayat samiti member Mobin Khan.
Surprisingly, the local unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad has extended
support to the Meo Muslims.
Mr. Mimroth affirmed that the attack on Dalit homes and injuring them
was a cognisable and non-compoundable offence under the 1989 Act, and
could not be subjected to compromise by any authority, individual,
group of people, or the police, under any circumstances.
According to information received by the CDR here, the seriously
injured victims are Maya Devi, Dharma Jatav, Tharpan, Jagmohan, Dayal
Jatav and Premvati.
While the CDR is planning to send its fact-finding mission to
Chandupura in a day or two, Mr. Mimroth says this was an obvious case
of the local police trying to hush up the matter "in collusion with
influential Meo leaders". He demanded that in addition to the
assailants, the guilty police officers also be booked under the Act.
The CDR has submitted memorandums to the National Human Rights
Commission, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Union
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik, seeking their
immediate intervention.
This is the second major incident of violence against Dalits in the
Mewat region within a month. The Meo community's alleged attack on
January 19 following a firing incident in which a youth was killed
drove out Dalits belonging to the Meghwal community in Husaipur
village. The Rajasthan Government has since distributed relief to the
Dalits and some accused have been arrested.
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