Fearing physical assault on them, Scheduled Caste families of Tejur in Hassan taluk have appealed to the district administration to provide them security and ensure peace in the village.
In a meeting convened by the district administration here on Thursday, members of the Dalit families said they had received phone calls threatening them of dire consequences for entering the temple in the village. The ‘upper caste’ people have socially boycotted Dalits in the village. “The shopkeepers have refused to sell things to us. The water supply line was damaged. Many have stopped talking to us. We heard that they have resolved to impose a penalty of ₹10,000 on those who talk to us”, said Govind, a resident of the village.
Yashwanth, another resident of the Dalit Colony, said he and his friends were assaulted while they were placing a banner of a popular TV serial featuring Dr.B.R.Ambedkar’s life. “Many of my friends have received phone calls threatening them. The ‘upper caste’ people are unhappy with our entry into the temple. We want security in the village”, he said.
H.K. Sandesh, a Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader, said the Dalits of the village were in fear and they need security from the administration. “The youths of the village approached the officers seeking entry into the temple. That has not gone down well with the ‘upper caste’ peopl. The administration should take measures to ensure peace”, he said.
Meeting
In the presence of the police and officials, a few Dalits entered Veeranjaneya Temple at Tejur on Wednesday. The ‘upper caste’ people opposed to the move raised slogans. Following this incident, Assistant Commissioner Naveen Bhat had convened a peace meeting on Thursday. However, representatives of the Vokkaliga community did not turn up for the meeting, scheduled at Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Bhavan in Hassan city. Instead, they had gathered at Kannada Sahitya Parishat Bhavan. The officials held a separate meeting with them and listened to them. The Assistant Commissioner also visited the village.
M. Naveen Bhat told Dalits that the police would take action with regards to complaints of threat calls and policemen would be deployed in the village to ensure peace. He also assured them that nobody would be allowed to practice social boycott. In the meeting with Vokkaligas, the officials said nobody could be stopped from entering the temple. Those shopkeepers who discriminate among the customers would lose their licence.
Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department A. Sridhar, DySP Lakshme Gowda, Hassan Tahsildar Shivashankarappa and others attended the meeting. The officials also visited the village on the day. The administration has resolved to hold a peace meeting, involving members of both groups soon.
