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

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Rajasthan
alleged upper-caste Hindus, stopped their
rally about 2 km from the temple and used
abusive and threatening language against
the Dalits. Instead of dealing with the
interrupters, the policemen escorting the
rally expressed their inability to help the
rally go ahead and enter the temple. 23
On 27 January 2004, a poor Dalit,
Bajrang Lal of Dediya village in Jhalawar
district committed suicide by burning
himself with kerosene. Lal was allegedly
unable to withstand the harassment he was
given by the Gram sevak and other
officials of the Panchayat Samiti after he
complained of their corruption. The
deceased in his dying declaration alleged
that the Gram Sevak of the Panchayat
Samiti took Rs 2,000 from him in advance
for releasing Rs 10,000 cash grant for
building a house under the Swarnajayanti
Grameen Rozgar Yojana and threatened
him for complaining about it. Lal also
named the Upasarpanch and the
sarpanch’s husband as accused and termed
the members of the Panchayat corrupt.
Four officials of the Dediya Panchayat
Samiti were reportedly booked on charges
of corruption and abetment/incitement of
suicide of Bajrang Lal. 24
On 11 August 2004, a 17-year-Dalit
girl, Neelam was allegedly stripped and
dragged on the village street in full public
view in Nagodi village in Alwar district by
the family of Billu Yadav with whom the
girl had eloped in July 2004. Neelam and
her mother were returning from ablution
on the early morning of 11 August 2004
when they were intercepted by a group of
216
11 persons of the Yadav community led by
mother of Billu. The attackers started
beating the duo. While the mother freed
herself and ran to the village for help, the
attackers stripped and beat the girl. They
dragged the nude girl along the village
street. The police later arrested eleven
accused after the victim’s family lodged a
complaint. Billu Yadav later committed
suicide reportedly following rumours that
Neelam had consumed poison. 25
IV. The status of the Adivasis
The Adivasis, indigenous peoples,
continued to face threats of eviction
despite Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s
promise during her “Parivartan Yatra” in
the tribal-dominated districts in the State
before the 2003 Assembly elections that
no tribal family would be evicted if the
BJP came to power.
On 18 October 2004, the convenor of
the Jangal Zameen Jan Andolan, Ramesh
Nandwana stated that eviction notices had
been served on thousands of tribals in
Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara,
Chittaurgarh, Pali, Sirohi and Baran
districts, even though 5,355 cases had
been proved to be those of possessions
before 1980 on the basis of forest records
and first information reports. A total of 45
tribal families in Bali tehsil of Pali district
were evicted from the land where they had
been living for several decades. Besides,
the forest officials ravaged the houses of
tribals in Deola Bharla, Jupa and Kundal
villages of Pali district. 26
The State Government’s plan to oust