Victimisation Continues for Daring to Stand Up against Caste Oppression
New Delhi, 2 September.
CPI(ML)’s Dalit activists including Comrade Brahm Jatav, Comrade Vikas and Comrade Bhuvanesh of Ramgarh villge, Dadri are being held in the police station on trumped up charges in Dadri, Gautambuddh Nagar District of UP. They were picked up from their homes and are being baselessly accused of firing on two persons from the dominant community – without any evidence.
The Dalits of Ramgarh have been subjected to atrocities and violence and false cases ever since they laid claim to panchayat land that is rightfully theirs in 2012. They were brutally beaten up with swords and sticks by dominant community men led by the then village Pradhan Kuldeep Bhati in 2012. One of the young Dalit men Tinku Ram was forcibly placed on a railway track in 2012 and lost his limbs. Many of the young Dalit activists spent several months in jail after being framed on false charges then also.
A criminal case of attempt to murder of Tinku Ram is pending in sessions court which is deliberately being delayed and obstructed on various pretexts by the attackers in connivance with the local police administration. Recently on 31 August the witnesses’ statements in favour of Tinku were once more postponed from recording in court, the witnesses are the same persons who are arrested today by the police. This arrest seems mainly to damage the ongoing trial on Tinku’s case by attempting to implicate the witnesses in the false cases.
Moreover, in the recently held Panchayat elections, the Dalit candidate Comrade Manju won the seat of Gram Pradhan of Ramgarh village. This is also an attempt to implicate Comrade Manju’s husband Comrade Brahm and Tinku Ram’s brother Bhuvanesh and cousin Vikas in a false case in retaliation to the victory in the Panchayat elections.
The CPI(ML) demands the unconditional release of the three activists and an end to the harassment and victimisation by the Uttar Pradesh police. The dalit villagers and CPI(ML) activists at the moment holding a gherao of Dadri thana demanding the release of all three arrested on false charges.
Kavita Krishnan,
For CPI(ML) Liberation
