Dalit Sthree Sakthi has organized a Public Hearing on the violence against dalit women and girl children at Kannabhiran Pranganam ( Dharna Chowk) Hyderabad on 4th March 2011. 16 cases were presented before the jury in which the victims themselves have narrated their agony before the jury admist a large gathering, print and electronic media. The jury was
personalities and they are: Sri Justice K. Ramaswamy, Supreme Court Judge (Retd), Sri KR Venu Gopal, IAS former chief secretary to Prime minister, Sri B Anand Kumar, Country Director – Christian Aid, Sri R Subba Rao IAS Secretary – State SC/ST Commission, Sri B Ajay Kumar Senior Investigator – National SC Commission, Sri Rama Melkote –State advisor to National food security council,Sri Manisha Bangar National Convener – Mulnivasi Sangh, Sri Kalpana Kannabhiran – Director, Chityala Ilamma centre for inter deciplinary research, Sri Lalitha Iyer – Principal Correspondent The Week, Sri Siddhojji Director – AP Study circle, Sri M M Vinodini Professor – Vemana University.
A jury kit containing the details of the cases including the present status and a brief note on the ground realities of anganwadi centres, schools and government hostels was given to the jury members and the media. The details in brief of the cases presented are as follows:
Case No 1: Pitla Suvarna (26), Mosra village, Nizamabad district was made the mother of a child by G Bhumaiah of the same village and later left her away. He also succeeded in putting up a false case in Maharastra court under Restitution of conjugal rights and procured a stay order in the High Court of AP.
Case No 2: T Radha Rani(43) of Kurnool is a stenographer in Kurnool court. She was repeatedly harassed by the judge. As she have not yielded, on 25. 2 .2010 the judge scolded her and abused her on the name of caste in the court hall. Unable to bear the humiliation, she retaliated and fell unconscious. She was falsely implicated in the case, sent for remand and later forcibly referred to the mental hospital at Hyderabad.
Case No 3: R Triveni(12) of Borabanda of Hyderabad and her two brothers were beaten up by five unidentified assailants and later she was gang raped on the late night of 29. 3.2010. She died on 7.4.2010 due to the injuries caused and medical negligence.
Case No 4: P Renuka(14) resident of Miyapur a student of 5th standard in AP Social Welfare Society residential school at Sadasivapet, Rangareddy district was harassed, abused on the name of caste. On the night of 21/ 2/2010 Renuka was caused head injury by the teacher and was sent back to home. Later she was not allowed continue her studies. Unable to bear the humiliation, Renuka committed suicide on 21/03/2010 and succumbed to the burn injuries on 22/4/2010.
Case No 5: Inje Lova (20) the resident of Kommarigiripatnam, East Godavari was cheated in the name of love by S Ramesh of the same village. She was made pregnant and was forcibly aborted. When she forced him to marry he avoided her.
Case No6: Sacri(35) and 29 others of Dusarakunta Thanda, Rangareddy district were mass attacked by more than hundred people belonging to the dominant community on the night of 20/9/2010.
Case No 7: S Hemalatha of Pedamangalaram village, Rangareddy district was cheated by Dayakar Reddy of Shapur on the pretext of marriage and made her a mother. Unable to bear the harassment of the caste elders Hemalatha’s mother committed suicide.
Case No 8: B Sudhakar(21) and 10 others of Chenvelli village, Rangareddy district were mass attacked by the dominant community people belonging to the same village on the night of 23/9/2010.
Case No 9: Ch Mounika(18) of Mandavalli , Krishna district was cheated, and sexual exploited by M Francis of the same mandal. When the caste elders intervened and asked for the marriage, they all were abused on the name of caste.
Case No 10: K Sagara Mary (28) is the resident of Perecherla was married to K Sambasiva Rao of Peddakakani in Guntur district in the year 2004. She was often beaten and harassed by her husband and in-laws for additional dowry as she couldn’t give birth to children. Unable to withstand their harassment, she committed suicide.
Case No 11: V.Divya Sri (14) is the resident of Mangalagunta, West Godavari district is a mentally retarded girl. She was sexually exploited by E. Rambabu (30) of the same village and was made pregnant.
Case No 12: M. Krishnaveni (45) is the resident of Vadiyaram, Medak district. She was elected as MPTC member and latter became the MPP as it is reserved to Scheduled Castes. After making her as the MPP, Srinivas-MPDO, B.Krishna Reddy-MPTC and A.Anji Reddy-MPTC harassed her and did not allow her to discharge the duties. Later they made B.Krishna Reddy as the incharge MPP and are carrying out the administration, etc without her knowledge.
Case No 13: The dalits of Vaivaka, Krishna district have been assigned land by the government. The agricultural land, house sites and burial ground was forcibly alienated by the dominant community people and converted into fish tanks.
Case No 14: Swetha and Sony are the 10th standard students of Kasturibha Residential School, Dharur, Ranga Reddy district. They were discriminated and harassed by a teacher belonging to dominant caste. Unable to tolerate the harassment of Swapna, Swetha attempted for suicide and Sony went away to home.
Case No 15: The dalits of Yellakonda, Ranga Reddy district were allocated house sites long back by the government and distributed the documents. They were not given possession of the site until now.
Similarly the prevailing situation in the educational institutions was also presented as follows:
Anganwadi Centres: The miserable conditions in these centres were explained to the jury with specific example of an anganwadi centre in near vicinity to the place of the public hearing. They were detailed about the lack of basic amenities, vulnerability of rented premises, etc and have said about the need of streamlining the Women and Child Welfare Department.
Schools/Residential Schools: Elucidating about the pathetic situation in the government schools, the jury were explained about the lack of quality education, problem being faced by the students due to the lack of toilets, drinking water facility, lack of adequate classrooms, other infrastructure including the benches, etc. The condition of a school run in a community hall school which is in close proximity to the office of the Chief Minister was explained in depth.
Hostels: The jury was detailed about the horrifying situation prevailing over in the hostels, lack of basic amenities, sexual exploitation of dalit girls, lack of protection, lack of proper food, etc.
Discrimination: The jury was also explained about the discrimination being faced by the dalit children from the teachers, students, etc in the above educational institutions and have detailed in brief few incidents.
Recommendations made by the Jury: After hearing each and every case, the jury have expressed dismay over the circumstances, the failure of the entire society and the irresponsible behaviour of the concerned enforcing agencies. They thoroughly examined, promised to follow up these cases as a model and gave recommendations case wise as follows:
Sanction of Compensation & Rehabilitation on time
To contact Ambedkar Foundation also for compensation
Charge sheet to be filed with proper sections on time without causing any delay by showing some or the other reason.
Action against the concerned officers U/s 4 of SC/ST (PoA) Act
Stringent punishment for wilful negligence of police, especially in the cases pertaining to sexual exploitation the delay caused in conducting DNA test
To conduct DNA test during pregnancy itself
Considering the added facts as circumstantial evidences and ensure maximum punishment
Provide judiciary powers to Commissions
Strengthen the CSOs by enhancing their powers
Continuous efforts by CSOs in bringing awareness to the larger civil society
Abstaining an elected representative from discharging her/his duties is punishable U/s 186, 187 and 189 of IPC
Sensitize the district authorities
Provide trainings for Panchyat Raj leaders through NIRD/APPARD
Focus the issues through media and build pressure on the authorities
Reservation not being considered as a right, but being discriminated in Education, Employment and Political sectors
Form committees at respective levels to access justice
The discrimination of dalit children in educational institutions to be seen as organized crime
Condemned the forcible formation of peace committees after the mass attacks to compel for compromise
Failure of district administration in curtailing organized crimes
Hindu religious elders should be ashamed for humiliating the feeling of the dalits believing in Hinduism
To reprimand sternly the concerned officers for not being able to register the SC/ST sections properly in the FIR
Non dalit women unable to acknowledge the advantage gained by dalit women due to NREGA
Confiscate the assets of the accused in mob attacks
Ban the leaders from politics for getting involved in atrocity cases
Give possession of house site and house
Repeatedly update the state level authorities
Bring in awareness to the youth
Take the assistance of the Legal Aid Authority in pursuing the court stay orders
Co-ordination between the line departments such as police, revenue, medical, judiciary, etc.
Accountability of Director of Prosecutions, Public Prosecutors, etc.
ü Effective and regular functioning of Vigilance & Monitoring Committees at respective levels.
The District Legal Aid Authority to play a prominent role and be a member of Vigilance & Monitoring Committees.
Effective implementation of the recommendation of Jus Punnaiah Commission.
Effective implementation of Sec 4 of SC/ST (PoA) Act 1989 against the officers for wilful negligence.
Allocation of budget under SC/ST Sub Plan, segregation of budget separately for dalit women and girl children and spend the budget through a separate nodal agency.
The State Legal Aid authority to monitor the stay orders and quash petitions against the atrocity cases and ensure speedy vacation
To speed up the DNA reports
Consider all these cases as test cases for a model and the jury to represent the awful incidents to the President, Prime Minister, Chairperson-UPA and Ministry of Social Justice stating the situation of dalit women and girl children in the state.
Similarly the jury members to make clear the ground realities to the Governor, Chief Minister, Home Minister, Chief Justice and the DGP.
