Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 24: Demanding justice, All J&K Dalit Mandal today held demonstration outside the Press Club here against harassment of Dalit families in Hatli village in Kathua district, who are being denied water from the well.
Mandal president, Pankaj Sangral, who led protest said that local administration in Kathua is not taking any action against the ‘Goondaism’ of some upper caste people in the village, who are threatening the families regularly.
Sangral said that some people, who are being shielded by some local politicians, are constantly bullying Dalit families.
“SCs remain waterless for many days together. Despite our pleas to the local police and district administration, no action has been taken against this goondaism. In May this year, a dozen members of Dalit community were injured in clash after denying drinking water by Upper Caste people in Hatli village”, he said.
Sangral said that there were three separate wells in the village where the community had divided their wells on caste basis. This practice is going on for the last many decades. Some Dalit families approached other two wells to fetch drinking water, which is being denied.
Though the village’s informed the police about the issue and the issue was sorted out, but this is not the first time such incident has happened. Even the issue was raised in Legislative Council in March this year.
“We are now afraid and living under fear, if they can destroy the well, what guarantee is there that they will not harm us”, said Mahinder Singh, general secretary of the Mandal.
He said that though a case FIR No. 68/2012 u/s 341/506 RPC, 3/7 Protection of Civil Rights Act was registered at Police Station Lakhanpur on 20-01-2012. However without taking any action, all the accused were bailed out.
On January 20, a written report was produced by the members of the Schedule Caste community of village Rasoo, tehsil and district Kathua through Sarpanch Panchyat Halqa Hatli that when the members of Schedule Caste community had proceeded to fetch water from the another well.
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