The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Caste discrimination in rehabilitation work alleged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 08, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Caste discrimination in rehabilitation work alleged

Special Correspondent

‘Help from private agencies should be channelled through Government’

Bangalore: On what basis did some families in the flood-hit districts of north Karnataka get a compensation of Rs. 1,500 for a destroyed house, while others got up to Rs. 30,000 even when the nature of construction and extent of built area was equal?

Discrepancies

Caste discrimination was at the root of many such discrepancies in rehabilitation work in Bijpur, Bellary, Gulbarga and other districts, alleged persons from these areas in their testimonies at a public hearing organised by Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation (HRFDL) here on Saturday.

They listed discriminations of various kinds: in compensation given for destroyed houses and crops, restricted access to gruel centres, barring entry into rehabilitation centres when they are in religious places such as temples, and so on. “They give money to those who have got it once, leaving out poor people like me,” said Durgamma from Hospet taluk in Bellary district.

Kamala Bai from Karjol in Bijapur district said the Dalits and the poor got a raw deal even though the former Minister Govind Karjol hailed from her village.

P. Ramesh from Bijapur alleged that the district administration had used the floods as an excuse to demolish two slums.

“Rather than help rebuild our houses, whatever remained our houses was destroyed without any notice,” he said.

Basavaraj Kowthal, convenor of HRFDL, objected to the rehabilitation work being done through maths and other religious organisations as it led to caste discrimination. He demanded that help for rehabilitation from private agencies be channelled through the Government. Justice A.J. Sadashiva, who heads the panel set up to probe discrimination against the Scheduled Castes, said that problems in rehabilitation should be corrected rather than stopped.

Barriers

He said that caste barriers should be done away with while rebuilding villages and people from various castes should not be segregated in allotment of houses and sites.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka