Fact-finding Investigation Report into the alleged murder of Servaaran, a Dalit Panchayat president from Thirunelveli District

REPORT

30th March, 2007

Introduction

Information from news paper reports and Dalit rights organisations revealed that Mr.Servaaran, a Dalit and newly elected village Panchayat President, aged around 65 years of Maruthankinaru Panchayat, Tirunelveli District, was allegedly murdered by upper caste Thevar people of the same panchayat. It is known that Mr.Harikrishnan (Thevar) husband of Ex-Panchayat President Ms.Poolammal had set up Servaaran to contest in the election so that he would function as a benami President. The present Vice-President of the Village Panchayat Sumathi (Thevar) and her husband Neliraja Rathinam due to a family dispute with Mr.Harikrishnan supported another dalit candidate Mr.Chelladurai (Pallar, Sub-caste) for the President's post. But Servaaran won the president's post in the election. Sumathi who was elected as Vice President did not want to work under a dalit (Arunthathiyar) President. She and her husband had on several occasions insulted Servaaran, Servaaran had filed two complaints against them in Panavadali Chathiram Police station. It is said that Sumathi and her husband threatened Servaaran with dire consequences for filing a complaint on them. On 19.2.07 around 5.30 am Servaaran was dead about 50 mtrs.from his residence.

Human Rights - Kalam, Tirunelveli, Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation (HRF) together with Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation (HRFDL) commissioned a Fact Finding Investigation into the death of Servaaran – Dalit Panchayat President, belonging to the Arundatiyar Community (Sub caste among Dalits) of Marthankinaru Panchayat, Kuruvikulam Panchayat Union, Tirunelveli District on 19.02.07.

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Findings of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Team that visited Kalapatti village, Tamil Nadu, in May 2004 

1. Caste Discrimination and Untouchability practices

Kalapatti is a village which is located in the Coimbatore district under the Kovilpalayam police station limits. It is 14 km from the Coimbatore-Avinashi road. This village consists of nearly 2000 families belonging to the Gounder Community, the Dominant caste in this locality, 250 families of Arunthathiyar community, 10 families belonging to the Parayar community, 150 Boyar families all belonging to the Dalit community are residing here. Other than this there are 100 Nayakar families and 100 Valayar families. In this particular village the Dominant caste is the Gounder community and they specifically hold all powers, economically, socially and politically and have an upper hand in decision making and policy building at all levels.

There are various forms of caste based discrimination that exists in this village even today. The dalits are not allowed to walk in the streets of the caste Hindus, not allowed to enter the village Mariamman temple for worship, in the tea shops there are separate glasses or tumblers for the dalits and the caste Hindus, Dalits are neither allowed to walk on the streets freely discussing or talking among themselves, the Dalits are forced to bend their heads portraying their inferiority complex, caste based abusive language colored by sexual remarks are often passed against the Dalits, especially, the Dalits women undergo sexual harassment and assault, the Dalits are intimidated and criticized for nothing at all. All the above mentioned forms of discrimination still exist in this particular village of Kalapatti.

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Letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding Sexual Assault Case in Police Custody

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Honorable Prime Minister of India

South Block, Raisina Hill

New Delhi 110011

India

Dear Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:

I am writing on behalf of Human Rights Watch to draw your attention to the case of Soni Sori, a tribal woman accused by the Chhattisgarh police of being a supporter of the Maoist "Naxalites." She alleges that she has been subjected to sexual assault, electric shocks, and beatings while in custody and denied necessary medical treatment, which the Chhattisgarh state government has not adequately addressed.

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(Based on a Fact Finding report first posted in the Google group NCDHR, in March 2007)

A Fact Finding Team of Human Rights Defenders and Social Activists from National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights was formed with a mandate to Investigate into the reports of Salwan village of Karnal district, carried in several news papers and electronic Media and to find out the extent of truth behind the reports. Fact Finding Team visited Salwan Village, Karnal on 2nd March 2007 and met Victims. The FF team found that 200 houses were burnt and destroyed.

The situation of the village is so tense with the threat of further attacks seeming possible any time. Due to this fear 75% of Dalit families have fled the village. According to some unconfirmed sources, the FF team got information today that one Dalit youth was murdered in Salwan village in the continuation of attack last night.

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Karthik Navayan

[Karthik Navayan wrote this article ten years ago, in 2002, after visiting Gujarat as a relief volunteer seeking to offer aid to the victims of the 2002 carnage. The one persistent thought on his mind after the experience was: how to stop Andhra Pradesh from becoming Gujarat? How to stop any other state from becoming another Gujarat? We think that question is still very relevant-- Round Table India]

'Adivasis, or indigenous people, are not Hindus; they have their own culture and customs as well as festivals and gods. Organizations like Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are working on a mission to convert them into Hinduism since decades. They are using these innocent Adivasis in murders by luring them into Hinduism. These Adivasis did not participate in any earlier incidents of communal violence; in fact, communal violence is experienced only through the RSS and VHP'

 Champak, Coordinator, 'SAARTHI' (An NGO which is working for the rehabilitation of Adivasis since last 20 years).

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[A fact-finding team of the Forum for Democratic Initiatives* visited Gohana on 4th September 2005 to enquire into the gruesome torching of houses belonging to the Balmiki community on the day of 1st September 2005. The team met the victims and their relatives; local college lecturers and primary school teachers who were conducting a survey to assess the amount of loss; shopkeepers close to the site of the incident and other citizens of the town.]

Recalling Gujarat

While the Balmiki population in Gohana town is primarily concentrated in the Balmiki basti, which lies in the heart of the town, there are a few Balmiki households in mixed settlements too. Contrary to the callous statement of the local BJP MP Kishen Singh Sangwan that only a few hutments had been torched, we discovered that in fact over 60 pucca houses had been completely destroyed; houses that escaped arson had been ransacked and looted. As we walked through the Balmiki Basti, we saw house after house with their roofs caved in, large cracks in the walls, burnt motorcycles and scooters. Television sets had been smashed, cupboards and almirahs broken into, annual stores of grains reduced to cinder, tin trunks commonly used to store everything from steel utensils and jewellery to quilts had their lids propped up by bamboo poles in order to ensure that all valuables perished in the fire.

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(First published in September 2005)

A Preliminary Fact Finding Report

By

N. Paul Divakar, National Convenor, NCDHR, Dr. Vimal Thorat, National Co-Convenor, NCDHR, Ms. Shabnam Hashmi, ANHAD, Dr. Umakant, Secretary-Advocacy, NCDHR And Others

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Dalit Houses Burnt Down at Gohana in Haryana

Gohana is a small Tehsil, a local administrative unit, in Sonepat District in the State of Haryana. It is situated about 60 kilometers away from the National Capital, New Delhi. It witnessed a caste rivalry between Dalits and the dominant caste 'Jats', culminating into mass exodus of Dalits and finally burning down of about 55 to 60 Dalit houses with full support of local Police from 27 August 2005 upto 31 August 2005. A violent mob of about 1500 to 2000 Jats armed with spears, batons, petrol and kerosene oil went on a maddening spree burning down hoses belonging to a particular Dalit caste 'Balmikis', who are other wise called 'Bhangis', the manual scavengers.

This is a preliminary report as full report after assessing the damages would be prepared very soon.

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