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