Around 20 houses of Dalit families were gutted in a fire at Panchabhuti village under Jagananthpur police station limits in Ganjam district of Odisha at around midnight on Tuesday. The victims allege that it may be the handiwork of some one from the upper castes of the village.
Caste-based tussle has been going on at the village. On March 24, houses of 46 Dalit families were allegedly ransacked by a mob of upper castes.
A fact finding team of social activists had reached the village two days ago to enquire into the case. The team had found that use of public ponds at the village was the root cause of tussle between the higher and the lower castes.
This recent fire accident occurred at Harijan street of Panchabhuti, inhabited by Dalit families.
Sankar Sahu of CPI-ML (Red Star) and Bhikari Nayak, Ganjam district convener of the Odisha Dalit Adhikar Manch, who were part of the fact finding team that had visited Panchabhuti two days back, met the Inspector General of Police (IGP), southern range, Amitabh Thakur on Wednesday evening regarding the fire incident. According to Mr Sahu, initial evidences hint that it was not an accidental fire but planned arson that can be linked with the continuing caste based tussle at the village. They demanded area sarpanch be arrested as it is alleged that this sarpanch related to the ruling BJD had led the attack on Dalit families on March 24. “The IGP has promised proper enquiry into the incident of fire at Harijan street of Panchabhuti,” said Mr Sahu.
