Dalits, Girijans are not safe in Telangana: Uttam

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has alleged that the attacks and atrocities against Dalits, Tribals and other weaker sections were on the rise in the TRS rule.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Leaders of Opposition K. Jana Reddy (Assembly) and Shabbir Ali (Council), ex-PCC Presidents V. Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah and other leaders, on Monday visited Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad, to meet two Dalit youth who attempted suicide by setting themselves ablaze in Manakondur constituency of Karimnagar district. They took the extreme step over not getting three acres of agricultural land promised by the TRS Government. They have been admitted to Yashoda Hospital in critical condition with 50% burns.

Reacting to the incident, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the incident shows the rising discontent and disappointment among people, especially Dalits and Girijans, against the TRS Government over its failure to fulfill electoral promises. Seeking immediate action, the TPCC chief wrote an open letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao with a fact sheet which alleges that Telangana has emerged as anti-Dalit and anti-Girijan State under the TRS regime. Quoting information procured under RTI query, the TPCC chief said from June 2014 to December 2016, as many 1592 cases were registered under SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act across the Telangana State. He said 503 Dalits and Girijan women were raped while 120 other SCs and STs were murdered. Up to December 2016, a total of 5210 SCs and STs fell victim to various crimes. He said that the situation is highly alarming and required immediate action.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also alleged that of more than 3,500 farmers who committed suicide during the last three years, a majority of them either belonged to SC or ST communities. Further, he said Dalits and Girijans also fallen victim to the brutality of police, which is acting like a frontal organisation of ruling TRS. He said Dalits and Girijans have no protection, rights or self-respect under the TRS rule. "Almost on every day there is an incident of attack or injustice in the State involving Dalits or Girijans," he alleged.

The TPCC chief listed out over a dozen cases where SCs and STs were subjected to atrocities and no action was taken by the KCR Government. They include rape of a minor Dalit girl in Tandur of Ranga Reddy district, rape and murder of two 9th Class ST girls in Mannampalli Tanda of Narsampet constituency, rape of Dalit women in Potaram village of Medak district, kidnap of two ST girls from Kothagudem, etc., He said that the TRS Government failed to take stern action in all such cases. Similarly, he said ruling party leaders were allegedly involved in cases of attacks on Dalits and STs, but such cases were hushed up.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the recent case was of Nerella village were Dalits were implicated in false cases by the police, kept in illegal custody and subjected to third degree torture. However, he said no action was taken as the local authorities were acting at the behest of sand mafia. Similarly, due to the alleged harassment by sand mafia, a ST youth Ramesh Naik attempted suicide in Tandur. Although minister Mahender Reddy's role was suspected in the incident, no action was taken, he said. Over 100 Dalit families in Manthni village in Armur constituency were subjected to social boycott on the allegations of not giving their land for "developmental works".

Stating that what he pointed out in his letter was just the tip of an iceberg, the TPCC chief urged the Chief Minister to take immediate and stern action in all the cases involving SCs and STs so as to restore the sense of protection among those communities. He reminded KCR that TRS party came to power by promising three acres of agricultural land for all Dalit families and giving several other assurances to both SC and ST communities. However, he said that the KCR Government has badly hurt self-respect and inculcated a feeling of deprivation and discrimination among SCs and STs during the last three years. "At least now, the Chief Minister should undo the injustices done to SCs, STs, minorities and other weaker sections," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave Telangana State with the hope that it would turn out be a model for the entire country by becoming a corruption-free State with complete social justice, democracy and transparency. However, he alleged that KCR has ruined all such dreams and turned Telangana into an anti-Dalit and anti-Tribal State.