annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Maharashtra
local administration laid a separate
pipeline for the ten Dalit families of the
village. But the social boycott proved to be
terrifying for them. They were no longer
invited to the wedding or social pujas. The
upper caste would not share their
agricultural tools, even on rental basis,
with the dalit farmers. Labourers
belonging to the upper caste refused to
work in the dalits’ field, compelling the
dalits to hire labour from remote villages
with more pay. 18
On 2 May 2004, a 35-year-old Dalit
named Bhagwan Mahadeo Lad was
allegedly beaten up by a group of upper
caste people when he demanded equal
distribution of water among all villagers in
Shirur village in Pune district. A case was
registered against six persons of Nimone
village in Shirur taluka under various
sections of Indian Penal Code as well as
Prevention of SCs/STs Atrocities Act and
Protection of Civil Rights Act. 19
On 23 May 2004, a Dalit woman
named Mandabai Hivrale reportedly
immolated herself outside the MIDC
police station in Aurangabad after police
allegedly refused to lodge her complaint.
The victim, in her dying declaration before
a magistrate, had allegedly blamed the
Assistant Inspector Dayaram Bhoite, who
allegedly ordered his subordinates to move
her out since he was having a meeting with
social workers in his chamber at that
time. 20 Another version of the incident,
however, alleged that the police officer
had burnt the Dalit woman alive. But
Bhoite denied this and told investigators
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that the woman had set fire herself. 21
Bhoite was suspended on 24 May 2004
and the case was handed over to the CID
for investigation. On 25 May 2004 the
State Home Department reportedly issued
orders to the investigating officers to
register cases against the accused. 22
III. Atrocities against the Adivasis
The tribals live in remote and
inaccessible areas. Thousands have been
displaced (please read the chapter on
Madhya Pradesh) in the Narmada dam.
Diseases and malnutrition are common
among them. They have little access to
schools and health care facilities. 23 The
government officials seldom visit tribal
areas. In May 2004, the Nagpur bench of
Bombay High Court ordered Nagpur
Collector A D Kale and Divisional
Commissioner S K Sharma to pay regular
visits to remote tribal villages such as
Binagunda in Gadchiroli district. 24
Malnutrition and starvation deaths
The tribals are poorest in the State and
they become disproportionate victims of
starvation death. In the face of
governmental apathy, hunger, malnutrition
and death have become a way of life for
the indigenous peoples in Maharashtra.
Government records in June 2004
showed that out of 37,524 children below
the age of six in Melghat region, only
12,376 were of normal weight. The rest
were suffering from various grades of
malnutrition, with over a thousand under
the severely malnourished categories.