The Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM) organized statewide demonstrations in Himachal Pradesh against the caste discrimination and incidents of alleged atrocities against the Dalit community on Monday.
The demonstrations were held at Mandi, Kullu . Hamirpur, Chamba, Shimla etc and at Sub -divisions and many block levels, nearly 20 Dalit and social organizations also joined the protests.
Memorandums were submitted to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu through Deputy Commissioners, SDMs and Tehsildars demanding strict action against the accused.
A protest demonstration was held before the DC office at Shimla, where hundreds of activists raised slogans braving rain and was addressed by former Thoeg MLA Rakesh Singh and CPM state secretary Sanjay Chuahan among others.
A delegation accompanied by father and uncle of the Dallit boy Sikander, who allegedly committed suicide after the incident of caste oppression a few days back in Jangla village of Rohru sub-division, submitted a memorandum to ADM Shimla.
Leaders addressing the protest said the speakers said , “It is shameful the attacks on Dalit community have increased in different parts of the state during the past sometime; the incident of Jangla (Rohru) and attack on Tehsildar during Kullu Dussehra have shamed Himachal Pradesh.”
They said, “Though Indian Constitution bars any discrimination on caste basis and provides full protection to Dalit community, such acts are going on with impunity and urged the state government to take stern action against the culprits and protect the dignity of the Dalit community.”
Narrating a few recent incidents speakers said, “In Sainj Valley of kullu district, a Dalit woman was allegedly raped in a forest and her body was cut into pieces to destroy the evidence, a Dalit boy Sikander (12) was locked in a cowshed for entering an upper-caste lady’s house and later his family was asked to give a goat for the act, in another such act Tehsildar Kullu was dragged and humiliated by devotees of a deity during Kullu Dussehra.”
