http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Chhattisgarh/Dalit-farmers-herded-away-from-govt-land/Article1-765636.aspx
Dalit farmers herded away from govt land
Ejaz Kaiser, Hindustan Times
Raipur, November 06, 2011
As part of a drive against encroachment on government land, a big herd
of cattle was pushed into agricultural fields in Raigarh to stampede
the crops cultivated by Dalit farmers. The panchayat in Chicho-umariya
village, 240 km east of Raipur, has defended the incident, which took
place on
October 30 and has created tension in the area.
Local BJP leader Kartikram Pradhan, who also allegedly performs the
role of sarpanch-pati (husband of the woman sarpanch, wielding
authority on her behalf), allegedly spearheaded the move.
Pradhan, who is also block president, said: "After the directive from
the collector and the resolution passed by the gram panchayat, the
process of removal was initiated."
The Dalit families of the village are now facing the threat of social
boycott and the blocking of their ration supplies if they protest or
lodge any complaint.
Raigarh collector Amit Kataria said humanitarian concern should have
been shown to the villagers. "The action was legal and undertaken
after a resolution was passed by the gram panchayat. Following the
directive of the Supreme Court, we have decided to get rid of illegal
encroachments on all public and government land by December 15,"
Kataria told HT. Of the 1,650 acres in Chicho-umariya, nearly 250
acres has been declared as grazing land, owned by the government.
About 65 Dalit families were reportedly using 150 acres of that for
decades.
"We have been cultivating the land since the sixties and now face the
threat from the sarpanch pati, who is also a local BJP leader, that
our ration supply will be blocked," said Pushkarma, a woman in her
thirties.
Suraj Kumar, a villager, asked: "Why was the drive undertaken without
the presence of an officer or the police? We had a lush green harvest
this year owing to the good monsoon but all are destroyed now."
The police, however, are saying the action was unjustified. "I have
sent a police force led by the additional SP to inquire into the
incident. Such an anti-encroachment drive is absolutely wrong. And the
issue becomes sensitive when the victims are Dalits," Raigarh
superintendent of police Rahul Sharma said.
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