Archive for the ‘Caste Violence’ Category

Understanding Atrocities (Anand Teltumbde Explains )

Posted by samathain on November 26, 2009

Samatha

Anand traces different opperssors of dalits through historical time line. He finds that most of the upper castes are functioning as upper class disregarding castes, for the most part. However, the shudras who have assumed the power in rural india are exploiting caste, mainly at the cost of dalits. He conculdes that brahminism is being used by the shudras to punish dalits demanding better life. Dalits being landless in rural india are left with no choice other than to work for these shudras ( so called backward castes). He sees hope in class struggles of left. But left is hopelessly focussed on anti-american propaganda. Indian Left has to learn from china which focused on upliftment of workers rather than ideology. Capitalism with Compassion is what could help india. India has willing workers, but not enough investment. Indian rich used to focus more on wasting money on weddings and functions. That is changing with indian middle class riding entreneurship wave in a big way. It is really the corruption in administration/judiciary/politics, prejudiced & unaccountable police force that is really blocking progress and welfare. Majority of the indians, regardless of caste or class, desire this. Ensuring that we have effective & accountable institutions that can tackle these problems is what is required irrespective of the party in power. NREGA, RTI, Lokayukta, PILs are some of the tools that could help. In addition to class struggles, it is very important to involve the leaders, NGOs and activists fighting for these in any meaningful dalit upliftment.

I make following five propositions:

• The classical caste system depicted by the four varna structure is almost dead in India .

• The existent caste system in India is concentrated at the lowest edge of the caste framework marking the division of caste and non-caste people.

• While in urban areas the caste system operates as a system of premium and discounts, its most insidious expression in the vast countryside is caste atrocities.

• Caste atrocities are the best proxy measure of the operational casteism and provide meaningful metrics to understand its contemporary form and content. Ending them would effectively end the remaining castes.

• Any attempt to present castes in a more complex manner amounts to obfuscate their essential feature and only serves the interests of the ruling classes.

Despite huge scholarly interest in castes since colonial times and long history of anti-caste struggle, the discourse on caste still runs in a stereotypical manner, taking them as amorphous continuum of hierarchy, which is sourced from the Hindu dharmashastras. There is a kind of romantic delight in amplifying the prowess of this vile institution as defying the expectations of many, including the likes of Marx, who expected that it would crumble under the onslaught of capitalism and the forces of modernity.

The problem with this kind of understanding of castes is that it is utterly useless in dealing with them excepting perhaps for academic accomplishments and political opportunism. Firstly, such an amorphous continuum is not amenable to break into the neat contending camps with antagonistic contradictions, the resolution of which could be termed as resolution of caste issue. Secondly, since this continuum is supposed to exist with the religious authority of Hinduism, one is misled to infer that unless Hinduism is destroyed, castes may not be annihilated. Thirdly, the continuum, with its inevitable fluidity in holding innumerable castes in hierarchy entails endless contention between them and imparts it a kind of self-regulative perpetuity. And fourthly, in dealing with them it impels people towards directionless ‘social engineering’ rather than aiming at revolutionary change that this kind of deep rooted venom requires.

Castes are essentially hierarchy-seeking and hence pervasively divisive. They cut across classes, tend to germinate reactionary consciousness and hence cannot be used for articulating any radical struggle. It is not to say that the caste struggles that have taken place during the last century did not have radical content. They indeed were waged with radical vision and even accomplished a significant change in the lives of India ‘s shudras and ati-shudras, the worst victims of castes. However, down the line, they entailed rejuvenation of caste consciousness and enlivening of caste identities, totally antithetical development as far as their avowed objective of annihilation of castes was concerned.

In my analysis the main reason for this paradoxical result lay in their lack of grasp of the essence of castes to begin with and the failure to keep pace with their subsequent developments.

If we see through the brief history of encounters with castes, we get varied conceptions of castes depending upon the intent of the definer:

Colonial rulers saw castes with their divisive potential and promoted their conceptualisation in a manner in which India appeared sans civil society and as a bunch of communities warring among themselves. Towards this object, they built up huge information base through district gazetteers from 1869, decennial census from 1871, provincial statistics (1875) and encyclopaedic castes and tribes survey (1891) that reinforced divisive consciousness among people. Anti-Brahmin movement took castes as the contrivance of the outsider Aryan conquerors, the ancestors of the present day Brahmans, for enslaving native people and therefore targeted Brahmins and sought to discard their customs and traditions. Dalit movement, particularly under Dr. Ambedkar, while rejecting the racial theory of castes propounded by the non-Brahmin movement and identifying the enemy in Brahmanism, distinct from Brahman caste, along with capitalism as the contemporary exploitative system, however came to the conclusion with regard to castes that they were an integral part of the Hindu religio-cultural structure and proposed renouncement of Hinduism to escape the caste bondage. For the Communists castes were just a feudal relic, a part of the superstructure, which would automatically vanish when the economic base is changed through revolution. The contemporary Bahujanwadis (and its offshoots such as Mulanivasis) look at castes as an asset to mobilise the oppressed masses into a constituency of 85% to vanquish the 15% upper castes.

All of these conceptualizations reflect varied degree of theoretical confusion and miss out the essential character of castes. As a result, while the non-brahmin movement and Dalit movement succeeded in some degree in challenging the upper caste rule and alleviating caste sufferings of the oppressed castes, they could not eliminate them altogether. Castes have not only survived but have also grown in their oppressive content.

Contrary to commonplace notion castes have been changing all through history. One can easily note momentous changes in them during colonial period, brought about by the imperatives of colonial rule. The socio-cultural milieu of pre-colonial India principally shaped by the family and kinship institutions that conditioned minds with a religious and caste identity was severally impacted by the influx of western liberalism, colonial culture and ideology. The early reforms initiated by Warren Hastings, who was sent as the first governor general of India by the British Crown in terms of Regulating Act of 1773, such as instituting private ownership of land and codification of Hindu and Muslim laws according to their respective scriptures, had vastly strengthened the upper castes. Integration of India into a single politico-administrative unit and consequently institution of a civil service, army, judiciary, etc. variously impacted the socio-economic structure of the Indian society. Implementation of uniform criminal law significantly weakened the caste panchayats. Besides these and such other administrative changes, the advent of capitalism during colonial times wrought significant changes in the caste system.

It is true that unlike Europe capitalism in India did not have to contend with feudalism; rather it saw feudalism as an important ally in its supply chain. What however should be noted is that the upper castes, mainly banias and Brahmins, from which the early capitalist class (entrepreneurs and managers) emerged, largely lost the ritual sense of hierarchy among them, which was characteristic of castes. The capitalist culture certainly had a debilitating impact on the caste culture and traditions of these communities leading to obliteration of ritual notion of caste and promotion of social osmosis among them. The capitalist class comprising entrepreneurs and managers belonging to banias and Brahmins, and other business communities like Parsis, Khojas and Bohras, largely overcome the classical caste hierarchy and came closer as a class. They would however promote caste divide among the lower castes, to keep their feudal allies in supply chain pleased and to discipline the working class in their own establishments with its fatalistic ideology and divisive ethos.

After independence, the bourgeois landlord state that came into being in India adopted the modernist constitution. The constitution created an elaborate structure of protective and development measures for the dalits and tribals, the people technically outside the purview of the caste system. The state settled for modernization because the feudal classes also saw prospects for their advancement through it. The Nehruvian modernist Project, significantly comprising Land Reforms and Green Revolution, immensely enriched the traditional farming shudra castes firstly by making them owners of land and thereafter bringing them huge productivity gains. The erstwhile upper caste landlords shifted to the urban areas leaving the villages under the lordship of the shudra rich farmers. With their economic empowerment coupled with their numerical strength achieved by consolidating all the middle-band shudra castes, they soon became an important element in the political sphere.

In the context of castes, Green Revolution brought in capitalist relations in the countryside through development of cash economy and markets for agricultural inputs/ outputs and credit. On the positive side for dalits, it broke the backbone of the balutedari system but on the negative side, it abolished many of their traditional vocations. Without any alternative means of livelihood, the dalits were increasingly pushed to work on the shudra farms as landless labourers. In absence of the traditional upper castes in villages, the baton of Brahmanism was wielded by the neo-rich shudra castes sans cultural sophistry of the former. They expected dalits to pay them obeisance as they did to the upper castes in yesteryears. However, the consciousness gained by dalits through their movement conflicted with this expectation and contributed to building up grudge against them, which could precipitate into atrocity with slightest provocation.

The shudra castes today dominate the political establishment of the entire country and are fast coming up in entreneurship too. Although the vaishyas and Brahmins may be very visible as leading the capitalist establishment because of their first movers’ advantage, the shudra castes are fast catching up. The Gounders in Tamilnadu, a traditional farming caste, creating a world’s biggest knitwear industry in Thirupur or the Nadars dominating the fire cracker industry in Shivkasi and dominating the transportation industry, or Marathas in Maharashtra controlling the sugar cooperatives and education sectors or Patels in Gujarat becoming big businessmen and industrialists are just a few examples. With their advancement in the economic and political scale the ritual status of the shudra castes as a classical inferior caste group has almost vanished.

The rise of the shudras has led to the emergence of regional political parties by 1970s, which made politics fiercely competitive and impelled parties to increasingly make use of caste and communal identities. It culminated into formation of the first coalition government at the centre in 1977 which changed the complexion of politics permanently thereafter. The very discourse on backwardness of the backward castes, reflected by Mandal Commission also is a product of this process. This discourse could be clearly seen as responsible for opening the floodgates of caste identities in the name of backwardness. It is not that there are no poor or backwards among the shudras. India where 78 percent people subside on the earning of about 40 cents a day and suffer various deprivations is naturally fraught only with poor and backward people strewn across the castes and communities. Caste however is not about secular poverty and backwardness; it is about the socio-cultural, quasi-racial prejudice against certain people.

Thus, there is no socio-cultural prejudice among the castes within the formal caste system. If there is not enough intercaste transaction among them, it is partly because of the cultural drag and partly for the class difference. The caste prejudice however exists only against dalits. The existent caste system therefore reduces to the divide between dalits and non-dalits. While it is pervasively experienced by dalits, its most menacing manifestation is seen in the form of atrocities on dalits in rural areas.

The empowerment of the shudra castes and relative disempowerment of dalits in countryside coupled with the latter’s cultural assertion has been responsible for caste clashes and caste atrocities. While dalits were always wronged, the phenomenon of caste atrocities could be marked by the increased power asymmetry between dalits and shudras in villages by the late 1960s. O ne of the first grave atrocities took place on 25 December 1968 in Keezhavenmani in old Thanjavur district in which 44 dalits, mostly women and children were massacred by the landlords and their henchmen. It was followed by spate of atrocities all over the country. Initially, as even in Keezhavenmani, the atrocities came as a consequence of class struggle waged by the communist parties, firstly the parliamentary parties and later the naxalites. After Keezhavenmani, it was Purnia in Bihar which saw the first caste massacre in 1969. Then there were spate of killings all over Bihar over three decades. It only stopped when Dalits began to retaliate with the help of naxalites by the late 1990s.

Atrocities mirror the intricacies of social dynamics vis-à-vis caste. As for instance there has been a qualitative difference between atrocities earlier and now. Earlier, atrocities were committed as a routine with an assumption of absolute right over Dalits, with no sense of wrongdoing. Now atrocities are committed with a sense of loss of that right, with a sense of being wronged. Earlier, atrocities were committed in arrogance as Dalits would not speak out; now they are committed in vengeance against Dalit assertion. Earlier, atrocities were the manifestation of contempt for Dalits, today they are the manifestation of resentment against the privileges Dalits get from the state.

There has also been a difference between the nature of atrocities earlier and now. Earlier, they were committed as an integrated part of the interaction between Dalits and non-Dalits and hence tended to be casual, more of humiliating in nature than of physically damaging. Today, they are far more violent and are in nature of vengeance or punishment. They are therefore not only humiliating but also physically destructive; far more brutal than before. Earlier, atrocities were mostly committed by individuals, in a huff of rage. Now they are committed collectively, somewhat in a planned manner, in a mode of demonstrative justice; teaching a lesson to the entire community. The increasing number of atrocities against Dalits in recent years has been alarming enough but this change in their intensity also is noteworthy.

Atrocities, data on which incidentally are maintained by the government, can serve as the best proxy measure for the existent casteism. The intensity of atrocities, the area in which they take place, their frequency, their time series growth and even the data on the subsequent process of justice delivery system provide good metrics to understand castes and caste dynamics and for strategizing combat against them. Many a myth gets exploded in their wake. For instance, the myth that only the upper (brahmanical) castes are the oppressor of dalits and in corollary the shudra (backward) castes are their allies; the myth that economic development dampen castes, the myth that the caste atrocities are the correlate of feudal economy, the myth of representation logic dearly upheld by Dalits that if their caste-men are represented in administration, the latter would take care of their interests; the myth that atrocities are committed only on the weakest of dalits, the myth that there exists a vibrant anti-caste Dalit movement that is vigilant about the dalit interests, the myth that the formal political opposition represents contradiction among the ruling classes (castes) and which helps dalits in fighting their oppression, the myth that political action of dalits is leader-centric, the myth about the independence of judiciary and impartial media; the myth that there exists a sizable progressive civil society, which is against casteism and the greatest myth of state being the friend of Dalits or at least impartial mediator between Dalits and others, had all crumbled at Khairlanji, as variously in other atrocity cases. It held out mirror before us and showed us what needs to be done. All atrocities unambiguously exposed that casteism is no more confined to civil society; it is well supported by the state apparatus, implying thereby that the anti-caste forces necessarily have to deal with the state too.

Given the obscure origins and the resilience of the caste system, the viable strategy for combating caste could be seen in curbing its manifestation. In contemporary times, atrocities being the most dominant manifestation of castes, the strategic focus should be to arrest atrocities. As seen before, the root cause for atrocities is the growing power asymmetry between dalits and non-dalits in villages. It may be interesting to recall that more than seven decades ago Dr. Ambedkar, while explaining the rationale behind his declaration to renounce Hinduism to his vanguard activists in 1936 had exclusively focused on the issue of atrocities and diagnosed exactly the same thing. He proposed the solution in terms of supplementing dalit-strength by merging dalit community with some existing religious community through mass conversion. Although his religious conversion in 1956 did not confirm to this prescription, the futility of communitarian solution or religious conversion is not difficult to see. In the then communally charged atmosphere, it might have been thinkable to speak in terms of communitarian solution, but today when the classes have sprouted out of the bellies of each caste, they would be utterly useless. The power asymmetry between dalits and non-dalits can be effectively overcome only by their class unity with others, transcending the caste idiom. While it may appear as the distant dream to many today for historical and other reasons, it is the only effective solution to the caste problem worth pursuing. The initiative in this respect shall have to be taken by the Left forces. The beginning can always be made if they join dalits with ideological clarity in retaliating atrocities. As the experience in Tsunduru and the Gaya-Aurangabad belt indicated, retaliation is the only effective way of curbing the atrocities and in turn castes. The shockwave created through it can not only deter the perpetrators of crime but also detach the oppressed masses of the shudra castes from them. The same can also impel desired cultural change and accelerate class unity of the oppressed masses across castes.

Contrary to commonplace view, the problem of castes has become much simpler today than ever before. The existential castes are confined to a divide between dalits and non-dalits, quite like the racial divide between blacks and white or the class division between capitalists and proletariat. No time in history, castes rendered themselves as easy for combating against as they do now. The historical project of annihilation of castes is accomplishable now, provided the forces swearing by it are ready to act.

Dr. Anand Teltumbde is a Mumbai based human rights activist and writer on the issues related to peoples’ movement.

Posted in Caste Atrocity Victims, Caste Issues, Caste Violence, Dalit Issues, Human Rights | Tagged: Atrocity, Caste, Dalit, Dalit Issues, india | 2 Comments »

Dalit families refused insurance scheme

Posted by samathain on November 13, 2009

Samatha

37 families have been thrown on the road because they wanted to register for medical insurance scheme. Police Sub Inspector who investigated the report is Transferred !!! District administration of Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu have not bothered to rehabilitate the suffering families. Police have actually registered FIR against the dalits !!! They have been rendered homeless due to criminal behavior of upper castes and the action of administration, police and the uncaring government makes us down our heads in shame. Why there is no outrage ? Why villagers of Veppankulam are allowed to treat fellow villagers like animals and slaves ? Why they have no respect for laws or humanity ? Why did the government support these anti-socials by transferring the police inspector who went to investigate the matter ? Aren’t there anybody in Veppankulam who does not feel outraged at the inhuman behavior of village strong men ? What are the good men and women of TN doing ? This is an insult to periyar, who wanted the dravidian land to be free from inhumanity of casteism. It is even worse that DMK, which is based on dravidian rights, is the government allowing this inhuman act by majority of a village with complete disregard for law and the rights OPENLY !!!!

Source : Times of India

Dalit families refused insurance scheme in TNPadmini Sivarajah, TNN 27 October 2009, 04:08am IST
MADURAI: Thirty-six dalit families in
a village in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu say they have been ostracised
after they questioned their exclusion from the state governmentâ
Kalaignar medical insurance scheme for the poor.

Human rights
activists who visited T Veppankulam village in Tiruchuzhi block say the dalit
families were being discriminated against by not allowing them to register under
the scheme. The Peoples Union for Human Rights and other organisations went on a
fact-finding mission to the village. The team was told that when registrations
for the scheme began in the village on October 3, a Hindu in charge of the work
had ignored dalits standing in a long queue and registered only the names of
non-Dalits.

An argument over the exclusion degenerated into
violence, and many dalits were injured as they were beaten up by members of the
other caste. Dalits deserted the village immediately, fearing for their lives,
and now stay in a settlement at Kariapatti, about 14 km away from their village.
They are virtually living on the road, as there is shelter only for cooking and
for children to sleep, said advocate Rajani and A Marx of PUHR.

Home out of bounds

Source: Express Buzz

Home out of bounds to 37 Dalit families

Photo:Express

R Guhambika

First Published : 19 Oct 2009 02:53:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 19 Oct 2009 09:19:39 AM IST

KARIAPATTI: For the members of 37 Dalit families, who fled T Veppankulam in Virudhunagar district on October 4 fearing violent reprisals from the dominant caste Hindus of their village and took refuge in Kariapatti, the future remains a big question mark as the district administration and police have turned a blind eye to their plight.The day before the Dalits left their homes, casteist tensions had run high at T Veppankulam when some Dalits waiting in queue with their families to get photographed for the Kalaignar Maruthuva Kaapeetu Thittam (state government’s medical insurance scheme) objected to some caste Hindus jumping the queue.The verbal exchange led to violence, when five Dalit men, including V Muniyandi, a daily wage labourer, were badly beaten. “As usual, they made casteist remarks against us and began to thrash us.” Muniyandi told Express.The terror did not stop there. Fearing that the Dalits would file an FIR against them, the caste Hindus surrounded their houses and refused to let them out. Those who had got into state transport buses were also forcibly made to step down.Sources said Mukkulam sub-inspector Ramaiah, who came to the village to enquire about the incident, also had to bear the brunt of upper caste fury. The man in khaki was reportedly let off only after he told them that he belonged to their caste. He was transferred the same night, the sources added.Muniyandi was again beaten up by a 40-member group with slippers and sticks when he tried to meet his wife Pappa at a nearby house. Around 6 pm, he managed to escape to Kariapatti, 20 km away, when his wife wrapped him in her sari and smuggled him into a bus.On October 4, some 37 Dalit families similarly made their way to Kariapatti, where they enjoy some protection from some Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) activists, in small groups with just the clothes on their back. They now stay in a makeshift shelter. “We have been reduced to begging for rice, pulses and vegetables and it is about 20 days since our children went to school,” they said.VCK councillor Iniyavan said the district administration and the police were not taking any steps for the rehabilitation of the families. “As is the practice, the police filed the first FIR against the Dalits and then filed one against the caste Hindus,” he added.The Dalit villagers said none of the district officials had bothered to visit them and enquire about their plight. The police too had not taken any action on the FIR filed against the caste Hindus.“As the upper caste people have served an ultimatum on us, it is impossible for us to return to our village,” they added.

Posted in Caste Atrocity Victims, Caste Discrimination, Caste Violence, Dalit Struggles, Recent News | Tagged: Atrocity, Caste, Caste Discrimination, Dalit, dravidian politics, Social Boycott, Tamil Nadu | 1 Comment »

Book Review – Rural Dalit ghetto: ‘Khairlanji’ by Anand Teltumbde

Posted by samathain on April 22, 2009

Source: Himalaya Magazine

Rural Dalit ghetto: ‘Khairlanji’ by Anand Teltumbde April 2009
By: Vijay Prashad

Khairlanji:
A strange and bitter crop
By Anand Teltumbde
Navayana, 2008
On 29 September 2006, in a modest town in eastern Maharashtra called
Khairlanji, a tragedy occurred. A gang of Other Backward Castes
(OBCs), led by the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) potentate,
raided the home of a Buddhist agricultural family, the Bhotmanges.
With impunity, the gang raped and killed Surekha Bhotmange and her
daughter Priyanka, and killed her two sons, Sudhir and Roshan. The
three children had done well in school, with Roshan on the road to
becoming a computer professional and Priyanka a topper in class 10.
Apart from the animosities inherent in the caste system, there was no
motivation for the attack. The Bhotmanges are Dalits and their
neighbours are OBCs, many of whom resented the dignified and
successful lives being led by the victim family. The violence against
the Bhotmanges was so extreme (the local BJP leader, Bhaskar Kadav, is
accused of raping Surekha Bhotmange post-mortem) that it is impossible
to discount the rage that comes from ideas of caste superiority. Those
who perpetrate such atrocities visit the courthouse casually, with the
full knowledge that their political friends will protect them until
the case is forgotten – as so many others are.

Anand Teltumbde has now written a book that will never allow this
massacre to be forgotten. Nor will it allow us to think of Khairlanji
as an aberration. Since the 1970s, as Dalit communities in India
organised themselves to gain political power, and since the modest
benefits of affirmative action have allowed some within the community
to rise in government service, attacks on Dalits have become routine.
The National Crime Records Bureau shows that in 2007 alone there were
more than 30,000 crimes recorded against Dalits or Scheduled Castes,
of which almost 10,000 were recorded by the police under the
Prevention of Atrocities Act. Human-rights groups tabulate the
enormous number of rapes of Dalit women, many of whom never lodge
reports due to the social sanction for such violence in general, and
also because of fear of humiliation and further aggression at the
police station. The violence at Khairlanji, like the violence at
Melavalavu in 1999, is stunning in its detail, but also ordinary in
its regularity. Such incidents have become banal – so much so,
Teltumbde tells us, that the Indian media no longer pays attention.
“Caste atrocities,” writes Teltumbde, “are a part of the ecology of
India.” And yet, because mention of them induces guilt, the
advertising-captured media ignores them.

Teltumbde may be too modest to mention that he is B R Ambedkar’s
grandson, but he has the analytical acidity of his ancestor’s pen.
Four years ago, he made an important intervention on the role of
anti-caste struggles as part of the anti-imperialist movement. He has
developed the argument that, in the postcolonial era, Brahmins and
other ‘elevated’ castes moved from the rural areas to the cities,
where they benefited from the openings afforded them by the new state.
In the rural areas, it was the intermediate castes and OBCs, the
Shudras, who benefited from the modest land reforms, and it was they
who became the immediate oppressor of the Dalits (bear in mind that 70
percent of Dalits in India are landless cultivators). In this way,
Teltumbde writes, the Shudras became the “virtual baton holders for
Brahmanism”. The Shudra-dominant castes have also become the “main
prop of the Hindutva movement”, as was documented in detail in
Teltumbde’s edited collection Hindutva and Dalits (Samya, 2005). These
analytical moves allow Teltumbde to identify the problem at hand in
Khairlanji, one of India’s many rural ghettos. The contradiction
between the Shudra landholders (who are aligned with the BJP and Shiv
Sena) and this Dalit Buddhist family is writ large in the tragedy that
visited the Bhotmange family.

Strengthening caste
Between the 1970s and the 1990s, certain region-specific Shudra castes
took advantage of agricultural inputs from the government and land
reforms to consolidate their economic position in the countryside.
Money and land in hand, they turned to the political domain, and
became the backbone of many of the regional parties – including the
Telugu Desam, Shiv Sena and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – that were able
to exert themselves after the Congress lost its hegemony in
Maharashtra and in South India by the 1980s. Dalits, meanwhile, did
not have access to land, and they therefore could not position
themselves to claim political power. To complicate matters further, in
Maharashtra the Dalit vote was split after 1958 into a series of
discordant parties, all of which claim Ambedkar as their own. When
liberalisation soured the rural economy from 1991 onward, the Shudras
turned on the Dalits, who had no effective political shield to protect
them.

After the Khairlanji massacre, a local women’s organisation in the
neighbouring town of Bhandara, the Rashtriya Sambuddha Mahila
Sanghatana, conducted the first protest. This was followed by the
formation of the Khairlanji Dalit Hatyakhand Kruti Samiti, through the
initiative of the Mahila Jan Andolan Samiti – whose leader, the
Communist Party of India (Marxist)-aligned Ashu Saxena, was unduly
harassed by the government, which spent far more energy moving against
the activists than against the perpetrators. Dalit political parties
were wary of taking the lead, with R S Gawai of the Republican Party
of India (RPI) allegedly telling the local government to suppress the
news of the massacre. (Teltumbde believes that this was for lack of
commitment, although it might also have been for lack of nerve – many
leaders, such as Gawai, feared that the huge numbers of Dalits present
at the Diksha Divas celebrations might have run riot from Nagpur to
Khairlanji.) In November, 25,000 people flocked to the Amravati rally
organised by the Khairlanji Nished Kruti Samiti, and many more
followed. The national media picked up the story grudgingly, and even
then only when pushed by the fact-finding visits of various
human-rights groups, and the visits of the CPI (M)’s Brinda Karat and
the RPI’s Prakash Ambedkar.

In the end, it is the lack of political representation that rightly
irks Teltumbde. He does not pay much heed to the bahujan portmanteau
(referring to OBCs, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other
minorities). He even worries that such parties are keener to
strengthen caste than to annihilate it – as he wrote in his 2004 book,
“Caste is intrinsically divisive.” Against caste, for its
annihilation, Teltumbde has created a solid corpus of work that bears
witness to the degradation of Indian democracy, and to the capacity of
Indian socialism. India’s revolution, to paraphrase Bhagat Singh, is
sharpened on the anvil of Teltumbde’s thoughts.

Posted in Caste Atrocity Victims, Caste Violence, Dalit Books, Dalit Victims | Tagged: Dalit, Dalit Atrocity, Dalit Books, Dalit Issues, india, Khairlanji | 1 Comment »

Dalit Students from Chennai Ambedkar College Released

Posted by samathain on January 16, 2009

Source: Veeramani

Dear Freinds ,
DALIT STUDENTS OF DR.AMBEDKAR LAW COLLEGE ,CHENNAI ARE RELEASED FROM
THE SMALL CAGE AND THEY NOW ENJOY THE GREATER WORLD OUTSIDE -HONABLE
COURT SUGGESTED STUDENTS TO KEEP IN TOCUH WITH LIBRARY AS AMBEDKAR
TOOK LIBRARY AS THE POINT TO PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE .

THANKS TO ALL PEOPLE WHO HELPED THROUGH MORAL SUPPORT ,FINANCIAL
SUPPORT ,LEGAL SUPPORT AND OTHER MEANS …
THIS WAS THE FLAGSHIP CASE THAT DR AMBEDKAR’S NAME CANNOT BE REMOVED
FROM ANYWHERE AND BY ANYBODY .

1. THANKS TO OUR ADVOCATE PANEL -VIJAYAKUMAR,RANJANI,TAMILIAN AND
HIS FAMILY ,SENGODI,VENKETESH,PALANIMANIKKAM, AND MANY OTHER ADVOCATES
WHO PUT THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN THIS MATTER .

2.CLOTHINGS ,BOOKS ,REFRESHMENTS AND EVERYTHINGS ARRANGED FOR THE
STUDENTS FROM MANY SOURCES … THANKS TO THEM…

3.THE CONDITIONS CAN BE RELAXED ONCE THE STUDENTS PASS THE
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTE INTERVIEW ,WHICH WE WISH THEM TO CLEAR BECAUSE
THEY WERE ONLY PROVOKED NOT PREPARED TO CREATE VIOLELNCE .

4.THE LEGAL PROVISIONS ARE READY TO MONITOR AND FREE THEM COMPLETELY
AND WE HAVE TO STRENGTHEN THE HANDS OF OUR ADVOCATE PANEL.

5. ITS A ROLE MODEL INCIDENT THAT SELF PROTECTION AND PROTECTING THE
NAME OF THE FATHER OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS THE PRIMARY DUTY OF ANY
CITIZEN LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY .

6. ITS WARNING POINTS TO ALL UNCONCIOUS DALIT COMMUNITY TO WAKE UP AND
STUDY DR AMBEDKAR AND OTHER GREAT DALIT PHILOSOPHY THEN ONLY THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO FACE THIS WORLD .

7.THE WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF DR AMBEDKAR AND OTHER LAW BOOKS ARE
ARRANGED FOR DALIT STUDENTS .THEY WILL ENJOY THE BENIFIT OF BEING
BORN IN DALIT FAMILY BY BECOMING GREAT JUDGES .

FRIENDS … JOIN HANDS AND CONGRATULATE OUR BROTHERS .. THEY ARE OUT OF
PRISON NOW AND THEY WILL LEAD GREAT LIFE …

ALL THE BEST FOR THEIR STUDIES …… ALL THE BEST FOR THEIR CAREERS ..

WE ENSURE THEM THAT WE WILL ALWAYS LEND OUR HAND FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT
AT ANY TIME AND AT ANY COST …

THANKS TO THE WORLD OF DALITS FOR THEIR GREAT EFFORTS IN BRINGING
THE JUDGES BACK TO SUPPORTING LAWS OF OUR MOTHER LAND .

THE INVESTIGATION REPORT AND THE DOCUMENTARY FILM ARE NOW AVAILABEL FOR
YOUR KIND ATTENTION .IN FUTURE, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO OPEN THE FILE ARE
WELCOME.

THANKS AND REGARDS .

Veeramani phD/JNU.
veerajnu@gmail.com
09871801943.

Posted in Caste Violence, Dalit Struggles, Dalit Students In Need, Recent News | Tagged: Caste Violence, chennai, Dalit, Dalit Struggles, Recent News | Leave a Comment »

Chennai Clashes between students and police: fact finding report 2

Posted by samathain on December 20, 2008

Source: Anand

Based on email by Dr.Anand in Dalit Conference group.
Dr. Anand Teltumbde
tanandraj@gmail.com

Clashes at Law college: A Fact finding report

(Committee constituting Educationists and Human rights activists)

(for contacts: 9444120582, 9444214175,9443439869)

The incidence took place on the 12^th of this month shook the people of Tamilnadu as a whole. It ought to be taken cognizance of that these incidents have taken place purely based on casteist lines. The repeated display of the clippings in the electronic media and the print media expressed that in the whole caste clash that took place one particular community students beat down other community students violently. On the overview even if it appeared to be entirely true, this was only part of the whole truth. The problem is deep rooted. Without understanding the caste groups and the casteist feelings that prevail in the law college campus one cannot understand truth in its entirity.

With reference to this, the law college students, staff and the social activists drew our attention to this issue. To collect the complete facts regarding the issue a committee consisting of the educationists and the human rights activists was formed. The team was constituted with the following members:

Professor A. Marx (Peoples Union of Human Rights)
Advocate Rajini (Peoples Union of Human Rights)
Thai. Kandasamy (Peoples Union of Human Rights)
Advocate K.Kesavan ( Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties)
Advocate Sujatha ( Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties)
Advocate Manoharan( International Association of Peoples Lawyers)
Professor Sivakumar( Rtd. Principal, L.N. Govt.Arts College, Gudiyattam)
Professor Santhosam
Professor Lenin(Loyola College)
Jerome Samraj( Student, Ayothidasar Reasearch centre)
R. Revathy( Women’s meet)
Advocate Raghavan.

On 18^th and 19^th the team met Bharathi Kannan, s/o Karuppaiah Thevar ( IV year), Devakottai, Ayyadurai, s/o Mariappa Thevar (II year), Sankaran Koil, Arumugam, s/o Kamaraj, Thirubvammamalai(III year) who are all undergoing treatment at govt. medical Hospital, Chennai and Chitraiselvan, s/o Kuppusamy, Pattukottai(IV year) who is being treated at Royapettah Govt. Medical Hospital and Dalit Students Premkumar, Ilayaraja, Asok, Gokul Raj, kanagaraj, Gopala Krishnan, Siva. Kathiravan, P. Govindan, V. Govindan, who are incarcerated at Puzhal prison and the newly appointed Principal for the Ambedkar law college Mohammaed Iqbal, the professors who were direct witness to the incidence of violence at the law college, Rtd. Scientist Gopal and Advocate Rajinikanth who happened to be present there when the incident took place. The team also met the Asst. Commissioner Balachandran and spoke to him. It also met Inspector Jayakodi over phone. The team also met the parents of the victims.

Background details:

There have been frequent clashes amongst students of the Chennai Ambedkar law college in the past few years. In addition to the direct caste clash there have also been clashes between the hostellers and non-hostellers. The majority of those staying in the hostels belong to SC (149 persons) and BCs (7 persons) community. Caste plays a primary role in all these clashes. For example, the clash between the hostellers and others has to be seen as caste clash only.

In this circumstance, in the past few years there was a caste based organization formed within the law college premises. So far there used to be only organizations belonging to political parties and not caste based organisations amongst the students. The ornaisation named ‘Mukkulathor Manavar Peravai’ was run with the support from outside from the Thevar Peravai. This organization used to celebrate the birthday of Muthuramalinga thevar, October 30^th as ‘Thevar Jayanthi’. On this occasion posters and notices with slogans whipping up the communal feelings used to be printed and these consciously omitted the name of ‘Dr. Ambedkar’ in their printing while denoting the college name. The college name used to be shown as Chennai Law College Instead Of Dr. Ambedkar Chennai Law College as such. The college authorities never bothered about this deletion. This evoked anger and sober amongst the Dalit students. In every celebrations in the college there used to be a practice of garlanding Dr. Ambedkar’s statue. But during Thevar Jayan when the students come on procession they wantonly neglect this practice.

In the meantime when the seniors were ragging in the sense of making witting statements etc. last year with the juniors, there was a peculiar incident that took place. One Vijay Pradeep warned the seniors ‘not to play with him unnecessarily without knowing his background. He claimed that his uncle is the accused RAmar of the famous Melavalavu Murugesan Murder. On this both sides got enraged. Vijay Pradeep became the prime person in organizing the students based on caste. He was a prime person behind the violence that took place on 12^th and the same was confirmed by the staff who witnessed the violence on 12^th.

This year as well during the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations on 30^th October posters were displayed all around. While denoting the name of the college Dr. Ambedkar’s name had been omitted while the posters had been printed. Students belonging to Mukkulathor Students federation claim that few dalit students, enraged by this, had torn off one or two posters. Dalit students deny the charges. Whatever be the case, there was a scuffle that ensued on that day between these two groups. Subsequently other students have threatened the dalit students warning them ‘you will be beaten up if you came for the exams. We will break your legs’.

One has to understand the following facts. Dalit students would primarily mean those dalit students staying in the hostel. Since they all stay in the same complex together there is a good coherence of understanding between them. They debate, discuss and share everything together. Hence, even in the caste clash that took place they became the targets. The students who have been victim and admitted in the hospital and who took up this issue, Shri Chitraiselvan and the other two students who have been beaten up and admitted in the hospital Shri Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam had previous enmity. Based on a complaint filed by Chitraiselvan two years back, there is a PCR case pending on Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam over an attack on him. Bharathikannan has obtained an anticipatory bail on this. Arumugam told this committee that there is a case pending on him. This year of the total 11 cases filed on the law college students, Bharathikannan is involved in 3 cases as per the Inspector of Police Shri Jayakodi. He affirmed this to our committee.

On November 5^th, when the exams started, fearing assault, few hostel (dalit) students did not come to write the exam. Some who braved the situation were threatened by Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam who are in the hospital beaten up in the clash. On 7^th November, four dalit students named Meganathan, Sivaraj, Raja and Ezhumalai were beaten up at the Bus Stand. It is learnt that in addition to Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam, Shri Ayyadurai, Vijay Pradeep, Thirulogeswaran, Sukumaran were involved in this assault on the dalit students. Dalit students seem to have discussed this matter in the hostel. They decided not to go in for police complaint during the exam time. They also decided to give protection to the dalit students who went for the exams.

Everyday Bharathi Kannan was prowling with daggers and knives. This was confirmed to the committee by the staff and professors of the law college. It is also to be noted that Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam did not have exams this time. There were instances of intervention to save the situation by some staff and professors of the Law College there, when the students were being threatened and driven away. In this situation only the exam was continuing on 12^th of November.

November 12^th incident:

When Bharathi Kannan and his group threatened the students who came for writing the exams, professors and Principal Sridev had gone and driven them away. In the meantime dalit students staying in the hostel knew of the situation and more than 40 of them came along with logs etc to the college. That they did not possess any lethal weapons with them was confirmed to the team by the professors.

In the meantime college authorities have closed the entrance of the college. The students came from hostels entered forcibly the college campus by pushing open the college gate. When the professors and principals intervened they answered that they had come only to defend for the students who came there for writing the exams and they had no intention to attack anybody.

Perturbed by this, the college authorities approached the support from the police authorities. College principal also had submitted a written request to the Esplanade police station. He even went in person and gave the complaint when the situation was becoming tense. The presently suspended Asstt Commissioner Shri Narayana Moorthy, gave the numbers of Paul Kangaraj, President, Advocated Asociation, Chennai High Court and Armstrong, a BSP leader and asked the principal to contact them to pacify the situation. Principal tried to save the situation by contacting them. And on the principal’s request Advocate Rajanikanth also spoke to the dalit students. Scientist gopal was also present at that time. The students informed them that they had come only for defence. When they had returned back, Gopal saw the two students jumping in to the college campus and sharpening their daggers.

In the meantime Ayyadurai came out after writing the exams. Since he was already involved in thrashing the dalit students he was beaten up. However he did not bring any lethal weapons that day. Since the dalit students felt he did not have the intention to attack they gave him water, pacified him and sent him off. This was confirmed by the Advocate Prakash who had come to drop his daughter safely for the exams. Other teaching staff also confirmed this.

In this context only, Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam came rushing towards the students. Bharathi Kannan rushing towards the students, holding the daggers is recorded in the electronic media. When the team went, it was told that he was in a deleterious state. His parents spoke to the team. Arumugam who spoke to the team accepted that they two had daggers in their possession at that time. He told that since they heard that Ayyadurai was beaten up, they came for his rescue. When Bharathi Kannan rushed towards the dalit students scolding them in harsh (vulgar) language the dalit students ran helter shelter.

The previous enmity between Chitraiselvan and Bharathi Kannan is narrated already in this. Both Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam attacked Citraiselvan. On seeing Chitaiselvan fall with injury on his head and over his body, the dalit students rushed back with logs to attack the two. With the daggers falling off from their hands the two could not resist the attack on them by the dalit students who beat them with the logs. This was shown in the electronic media and everyone is witness to that. The police authorities did no efforts to stop or disperse the crowd. This was also clear from the visual media.

Present situation:

With reference to the Nov. 12^th incident three cases have been filed:

On 8 dalit students and ‘others’ cases have been framed in the case related with Cr. No. 1371/2008. So far, 23 students have been arrested and put in Puzhal prison and Saidapet sub jail. Chitrai Selvan being treated in the hospital has already been arrested. IPC 147,148, 307(attempt to murder), 506(2) (threat to attack) has been foisted on him.
On the complaint filed by Chitrai Selvan, cases have been registered on Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam under Cr. No. 1372/2008. No one is included as ‘others’. The case under IPC 506(2)( threat to attack) has been filed. Nobody has so far been arrested.
On Cr. No. 1373/2008, on the complaint filed by the principal 14 students have been arrested.

Government has taken action by suitably transferring some and suspending some others. The principal has been suspended. A commission of enquiry headed by a Rtd. Judge Shri Shanmugam has been constituted by the government.

Our findings:

The functioning of the caste based organizations with in the college premises is a cause for concern. The violence that took place on the 12^th of November ought to be condemned. But the same cannot be viewed in its isolation. It has to be understood in the background of the past incidents that prevailed.
Caste organizations should not be allowed to flourish with in the college campus.That also omitting Dr. Ambedkar’s name while printing independent notices or posters and pasting it near the college should have been taken cognizance of by the college authorities and curbed at the early instance itself. College authorities should have sorted out the issue by adopting the procedures like counseling the students whenever disputes arise amongst students, if necessary call for a tripartite meeting with the parent, teacher and the police authorities and when not complying with the consensus taking appropriate action on the violators.
The police authorities take the excuse that the college authorities did not allow them inside the campus. But the college authorities claim that a written request for the intervention was placed with the police. When the team enquired about this to the investigating officer, Inspector Jayakodi he did not have any knowledge of this. But he said he went and took the students who were beaten up, the attitude of the police in watching a cognizable offence taking place before their own eyes as a bystander is highly a cause for concern. There need to be no permission or orders to stop a cognizable offence taking place in public.
All the govt. colleges especially the govt. law colleges are just an extension of the village atmosphere. The caste feelings that exist in the village prevail even within the college campus. Not only in Chennai Law College but also in all other law colleges also the situation prevails. Even in Coimbatore Law College the same situation seems to be prevailing. The character of the legal profession is one reason for such a situation in the law college. Specifically in the village the legal profession is attached with the caste allegiance. To register as the lawyer itself is identified with the caste related activity. Political parties do not condemn this attitude. A particular student can continue to remain in a given party as well as his caste organization.
Govt. colleges and the govt. law colleges are neglected by the government. The vacancy in teaching staff posts are not filled upon properly. Hence the students are not completely engaged in the classes. When the classes are not taken, the students stay outside assembling with in the campus. This invariably leads to some avoidable disputes. At present there is 55 posts unfilled in the law college, Chennai. At the same time, elite schools run by the government function well with full strength. When this clash took place in the law college it is everyone’s knowledge that the principal was posted only temporarily. The principal in charge cannot take firm action on any situation is very well known.
Few years back there was a commission appointed to go into the clashes that took place in the hostel. Its recommendations were submitted to the government. The recommendation to appoint a permanent hostel warden is yet to be fulfilled.
To block the students from writing the exams that would affect the future of the students is a serious matter. The college authorities should have taken note of this. The professors could not give proper details on how many students failed to attend the exam due to such a threat.
Government and the police authorities are approaching the problem in a reductionist way. They have resorted to indiscriminate arrest of any dalit student. The student named Gokul Raj of Thirupathi Ambedkar Law College who happened to be present in the court at that time has been arrested. The police authorities that chose to relieve him when it knew he was from Tirupathi Law College remanded him once knowing his caste identity as belonging to dalit. The family members of the dalit students have been put under great pressure and trouble. Arrested dalit students have been insulted very badly by the police authorities.

Recommendations:

1) Functioning of the caste based organizations with in the college campus should be curbed forth with. There has to be a ban on the functioning, issuance of pamphlets, posters in the name of such organizations within the college campus. College names should be printed only in a recognized form. Any attempt to delete Dr. Ambedkar’s name by any one in denoting the college’s name should be made punishable.

2) Based on this issue there is a demand being raised to remove Dr. Ambedkar’s name in the naming of Law College. This is totally untenable and government should not yield to such a move and rescind any such move.

3) Even in The Coimbatore Law College such an issue prevails. The students coming for the exams have been attacked there. Government and the college authorities should take necessary preventive steps to stop recurrence of violence.

The steps government has taken so far is one sided. While Chitraiselvan has been attacked on his head, his ears are torn, it has not so far taken action on IPC 307 on those who attacked him. They have not been arrested yet. No action has been taken so far on the students belonging to the Caste organization that operated from behind. This is highly condemnable. Government must take corrective measures immediately.

Stop forth with harassing the family members in the name of search operation to nab the absconding students. All hose innocent students, especially Gokul Raj of the Tirupathi college should be released forthwith.

The vacancy in the teaching staff posts should be filed forthwith. The exams that have been stalled due to this violence should be conducted immediately. Those students who could not attend the exams due to threat of attack or fear should be provided fair chance to attend the exam. Permanent counseling committee and peace committee should be constituted. Full fledged hostel warden should be appointed.

It should be enquired Why the police authorities failed to take action even when the written complaint was lodged with them by the principal. It is understood that the same police authorities that gave the contact no. of BSP leader Armstrong to pacify the students is planning to arrest him. It would be erratic if this is being done on the insistence of other caste organizations. The government should enquire in to this.

In the pattern of ‘House Surgeon’ course adopted for the medical students in their final years, the law students should also be provided with internship course at various legal cells and high court registry in their final years (III year and V year) with stipend.

The students lodged in the Saidapet sub jail should be shifted to Puzhal prison immediately.

Chennai

November 22, 2008

Posted in Caste Violence, Recent News | Tagged: Caste Violence, Recent News | 2 Comments »

police as mute spectators to caste violence in law college in chennai

Posted by samathain on November 14, 2008

Samatha :
Sunderpandyan:
“The Chennai Ambedkar Law College incident seem to have deep political and caste roots and is revealing many neglected aspects of education system. The exhibited desire of students to experiment valor and take pride at it needs to be addressed as part of the college curriculum. I think students need to be exposed to “Problem Resolution” techniques.”

Sunderapandyan is absolutely right. “Problem resolution” techniques would help. Actually, college staff needs to be trained first. Principal seems to be very inept. It almost feels as if the principal was not interested in student’s welfare. It is possible that the ongoing examinations might have distracted the staff. But the action of police is inexcusable. When u see the CNN-IBN Footage, u really feel outraged. What kind of police force is this ? Even a common citizen would try to intervene, if possible. With all the police training, arms, equipments, trained force and enough prior information, chennai police had a great opportunity to show how to handle caste violence.

At the same time, I feel attempt at peace committee would have failed if it didn’t understand the main issues. This bunch of uppercaste students meant to instigate caste feelings when they pasted pamphlets without ambedkar’s name on it. (I don’t understand why many of the newspapers refer to ambedkar’s name indirectly as “national leader”. It seems like the media is having the same mentality as these uppercaste students. They are uncomfortable to even mention the great constitutional architect. They are ignorant of history. At the time of independence, british expected india to go to dogs. India was torn by hindu-muslim communal violence, partition, violent hindu right, disturbing communist left, poverty, lack of education, unwilling princely states, a nation divided by different languages, caste,religion and culture. There were too many factors against india. A modern, egalitarian constitution designed by ambedkar’s team has managed to keep all these factions in control (if not happy) over the last half of the century. India has become a force to reckon with at global level. We have to acknowledge this great son of india more willingly. It shouldn’t be just the dalits and the minorities who should be grateful to ambedkar. Even the majority have to thank him for keeping the country together with his vision. ) Enough of digressing. Main point I was raising was that ambedkar’s name should have been included later in the in-campus pamphlets to avoid disrespect. This was a simple thing to do. It would have taken an hour or so. This was not handled properly even after the police intervention. (Good job by chennai police). This lack of action by college authorities to resolve the issue definitely emboldened these uppercaste seniors to take the next step of blocking the dalit juniors from entering the college to take the exam. Here again, college authorities and security could have taken steps to enable the dalit students to take the exams. It seems like that didn’t happen. (Few seniors did take some of the juniors secretly to the exams). This collusion between the college authorities and the uppercaste students must have definitely frustrated the dalit students. Their retaliatory action shows lack of guidance and immaturity. At least the principal could have shown some grace at this point by admitting the mistakes and planning action against the bunch of hatred-filled uppercaste students for instigating and intimidating the juniors. Instead, principal is putting ALL the blame on “dalit hostel students”. It seems like the principal is blinded by caste hatred even at this juncture after so much damage to young students. This, coming from a senior staff of a LAW college, who are expected to train the future guardians of the society, points at a serious deficiency in our system in sensitising the teaching faculty and the police force to simmering caste feelings and the noble intentions of our legal system to manage them.

Related videos on You Tube:

Ambedkar law college guys beaten to DEATH! Part-1

Ambedkar law college guys beaten to DEATH! Part-2

Ambedkar law college – Chennai – fight – Helpless

Ambedkar law college – Fight between law students

CNN IBN’s report on police inaction:

Chennai cops fail to stop student’s clash

Recommended analysis:

Silence may be costly, hence this post

The Facts behind the Incidents of violence at Chennai Dr. Ambedkar Law College

Chennai Clashes between students and police: fact finding report 2

To learn a little bit about history of clashes between thevars and dalits in southern tamilnadu, read this article on Dalit-Thevar-Ramnad-riots .

If any of you (including
organizations) wish to come forward to help the victimised dalit students (some of them deserve the legal punishments for causing such brutal violence. Being law students, they should know better. However, there are many innocents among them who are wrongly implicated. As the analysis and the rest of the articles indicate, dalit students have been at the receiving end [of violence by thevar students ] for a long time . College authorities have long turned deaf and have not taken any steps to increase security on the campus. News videos don’t show the thevar students blocking dalit students from taking exams or injuring some of the dalit students critically. Many of the students who were involved in the clash seem to have acted in self-defence and self-preservation. Hence these helpless students need legal aid to ensure that they get a fair trial and their side of the story is not ignored by the courts. ), you may contact Mr.Anand Teltumbde at +91-9820216146.

Photo of Bharathi Kannan (one of the thevar students who planned this violence) brandishing knife in ALC Campus !!!

Why the police have not taken any action against this budding rowdy ? [He was actually arrested for possessing 3 swords, but later released without charges. His father was a panchayat president and mother is also
part of the panchayat. His family is known for its political connections. This influence and the perceived victimhood has
turned the actual goonda into a more powerful person !!!!]

Source: express buzz

Caste clash rocks Law College

A student of Dr Ambedkar Law College being attacked by his collegemates during a group clash in Chennai on Wedesday.

Gokul Vannan

First Published : 13 Nov 2008 04:41:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 13 Nov 2008 09:11:17 AM IST

CHENNAI: Three students were seriously injured in a violent caste clash that broke out between two groups of students at Ambedkar Law College on Wednesday.

The students waged a pitched battle, even as a posse of policemen waited outside the gates and news photographers clicked pictures.

Knives, iron rods, wooden logs and tubelights were freely used by the clashing students. The police remained silent spectators, waiting for a call from the college principal for help.

Tension has been running high inside the campus since October 30. According to police sources, a few Dalit students objected to the institution being referred to as just ‘government law college’ without the pre-fix ‘Dr Ambedkar’ in posters put up inside the campus by students from a caste Hindu community.

It degenerated into an ugly skirmish and police advised the principal to look into the matter and set up a peace committee. The efforts of the college authorities and the police to bring unity among the students were in vain.

Since it was the first year Dalit students who confronted seniors on the poster issue, the latter allegedly vowed not to allow them to sit for the examination.

On Wednesday, trouble started when the caste Hindu students tried to prevent freshers of the Dalit community from appearing for the semester examination.

As a group waited with lethal weapons inside the college to attack the junior students, a few seniors escorted them inside the examination hall. Suddenly, the armed group attacked the Dalit students. Chitirai Selvan (21), a fourth year student, sustained serious injuries in the ear and back of the head and was admitted at Stanley hospital.

A group of Dalit students retaliated.

In the attack, Arumugham (20), a third year student, was injured and brought in a semi-conscious state to Government General Hospital. Ayyadurai (20), a second year student, sustained injuries to his right hand, forehead and leg. A third year student, Bharathi Kannan, was injured in both hands, forehead and thigh.

Finally, the principal called the police, who rushed in and chased the students away.

The police filed a complaint with the police naming Gubendran, Ravindran, Chithiraiselvan, Manimaran, Vetrikondan, Prem Kumar and Ravi Verman. Three of them were taken into custody by the police.

Followup action

Source: Indian express

College violence: 2 policemen, principal suspended in Chennai

Agencies

Chennai, November 13: Police Commissioner R Sekhar was on Thursday night removed with the Tamil Nadu government cracking the whip after his force was accused of inaction during violent student clashes in Dr Ambedkar Law College while two police officers and the institution’s Principal were suspended. DGP(Civil supplies) K Radhakrishnan is the new Police Commissioner after Sekhar was trasnferred, official sources said, adding orders in this regard were being issued, a day after caste violence in the college in which three students were seriously injured.

As the DMK government faced the heat after coming under attack from the opposition in the state Assembly for alleged failure to tackle the violence, an Assistant Commissioner of Police Narayanamurthy and Inspector Sekar Babu were suspended while four sub-inspectors were shifted out of the City.

Former chief minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa demanded the resignation of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who holds the Home portfolio.

The seven arrested students have been booked under various IPC sections including 307 (attempt to murder) and remanded to custody. TV grabs showed a couple of students being brutally attacked amid reports that police remained mute spectators.

Law Minister Duraimurugan told the Assembly that Law College Principal Sridev has been placed under suspension while the ongoing semester exams were postponed as there was no ‘cordial atmosphere’ to conduct them right now.

All law colleges in Tamil Nadu have been closed to avoid any untoward incident, he said.

Duraimurugan while replying to a call attention motion in the Assembly announced setting up of a commission to probe the incident.

The incident also had violent fallout in Coimbatore when students threw stones and damaged furniture and windows of the Law College. About 60 students were arrested, police said.

AIADMK members, who cited media reports about alleged police inaction, were evicted en masse from the Assembly after the opposition members created a ruckus. The MDMK, AIADMK’s ally walked out of the House.

Related Comments:

Source: Chowk

Lawlessness in Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai

Posted: Nov 12, 2008 Wed 09:45 pm

The incidents which have taken place in the Dr.Ambedkar Law College, Chennai, situated in the heart of Chennai is heart-rending.
The apathy of the Police is highly condemnable. How can the Police be a silent spectator to all the happenings, on the plea that there has been no complaint? This is highly ridiculous. All the police officials who were standing there must be sacked enmasse and criminal charges must be filed for abetting the crime, for failing to prevent the clashes and their failure to discharge their duties.
Repeated relay of the incidents in the various TV channels have clearly shown the images of the students involved in the incident and the Police officials who stood there as silent spectators. Irrespective of the cadre, all the Police officials who were there as silent spectators must be arrested for their failure to discharge their duties and they must be sacked. Similarly all the students who were involved in the incident must be arrested and booked under ‘Goondas Act’. All the students involved in this incident must also be banned from pursuing any professional courses in future. This should act as a deterrent to others. It is insufficient if action is taken against only a few. The great constitutional stalwart on whose name the college has been christened will weep if he happens to see all this. It is not understood as to how these people are going to protect the Law, when they themselves are behaving like this.
The Video footage shown in the TVs clearly shows more than a dozen students involved in this incident as such all must be arrested and paraded in front of the TVs so that the people are satisfied about the Police action.
Lastly the Police have confessed that they were aware of the trouble brewing in the campus. This clearly shows their inept handling.

The News item as appeared in Times of India of 13/11/2008:-

Two groups of armed students clash
A Subramani | TNN

Chennai: There was a bloodbath on the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law College premises here on Wednesday evening, with two groups of armed students attacking each other with deadly weapons on an examination day. A large posse of police personnel, which had reached the spot in time, stood mute witness to a murderous assault on a student.
Even as the student — who is said to have triggered the whole sequence of violent incidents when he entered the campus brandishing a long knife — was being thrashed by a 15-member mob, the police remained unmoved just a few metres away. Though photo journalists, who were clicking every bit of action, pleaded with the police to rush in and rescue the boy, their cries fell on deaf ears. The 90-minute drama left four students grievously injured.
When asked why police hesitated to enter the campus, an official said they were waiting for permission from the college principal. A senior jurist, however, said that when a cognizable offence is being committed, that too in front of their own eyes, the law enforcing authorities need not wait for any permission. They can act without any complaint, even if it occurs inside private premises, he said. “It is only a convention that police should wait for permission from the college authorities, but nothing in law prohibits them from acting during violence,” admitted a senior education ministry official.
According to eyewitnesses and visuals the boy was attacked by the mob even after he stepped out of the college campus. After the violence, the police sealed all exit gates and trapped a group of about 60 students, including those who had unleashed violence earlier.
Officials, who were closeted with the college principal for a while, later picked up three students — identified as Prabhakar, Jayakumar and Balamurugan — and took them to the Esplanade police station.
A police official said the genesis of the dispute was printing of some wall posters during the recent birth anniversary celebrations of a national leader. A section of students, he said, protested the omission of another leader’s name in those posters. Another official, however, said it was essentially a clash between hostel students and day scholars.

We knew of trouble brewing on campus a week ago, say police
D Suresh Kumar | TNN

Chennai: The brutal clash between two groups of students on the campus of the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law College in Chennai on Wednesday evening was waiting to happen.
The police had got wind of the simmering trouble a week ago and informed college authorities to intervene and douse the feelings of hatred between two communities of students. But when the actual rehearsal for the violence began on Wednesday morning, not a single official acted. Everyone stepped in only after the students launched murderous attacks on each other in a spinechilling display of campus hooliganism.
Police and college authorities described the incident as the fallout of raging differences between day scholars and hostellers. Almost all hostellers are Adi-Dravidars and the day scholars at the college non-Dalits.
“The hostellers were upset that the day scholars had not mentioned the full name of the college in pamphlets printed during the birth anniversary of a national leader recently. We got information that this was becoming a major problem on the campus and asked the principal to convene a meeting of the warring students,” Esplanade assistant commissioner of police K Narayana Moorthy said.
There was no convincing explanation from principal K K Sridev and ACP Moorthy as to how the students managed to smuggle in knives, iron rods, spades, tube-lights, etc., into the campus on an examination day. “While the injured students were day scholars, those who thrashed them were hostellers,” the principal said.
Law minister Durai Murugan disapproved of the police inaction, but said the examination would not be postponed.

The Real Story

Source : Meena Kandasamy

Silence may be costly, hence this post

November 14, 2008 by Meena Kandasamy

I would have remained silent about the caste clash among the law college students, but for this extremely abusive and derogatory comment from a casteist person who could find no better pseudonym other than Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar (PMT).

This is the said comment from PMT:

“You inhuman ambedkar people beat up our thevar people. How barbariands you are not at all human. you should register under wildlife act. down with the inhuman ambedkarisms”

I have not written about the caste clash among the students any where on this blog, so I fail to understand why I got this comment. However, I have taken the pains to write this post, because I want the world (and at least the readers of my blog) as to what exactly happened in the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College premises. This post is based on what my friends told me. If this comment had not appeared on my blog, I would reacted like any other mediaperson. I wouldn’t have taken caste names, I wouldn’t want to complicate an already confounded situation. (Now the names of the warring factions are out in the open, so I needn’t apologize). I would have remained silence and started worrying about solutions, rather than take the pains/risks of exposing the real story. But I think that people might be really getting the wrong news, or not getting the long background to this, hence this post.

For the past couple of years, the Thevar Peravai (based in Egmore, Chennai) has been organizing students of their community under the banner of Mukkulathor Maanavar Peravai. Particularly within the law college campus, where politics and caste rule the roost, the effects of such an organization has been enormous. And scary. They have taken an anti-Dalit line and this has led to minor skirmishes in the recent past. In pamphlets and posters within the campus, the Mukkulathoor Maanavar Peravai specially omitted the usage of “Dr.Ambedkar’s” name while referring to the college. By refusing to use the Dalit leaders name, they were taking an explicit anti-Dalit line. It is easy to argue that there’s really nothing to a name, but if there was nothing, why did the Mukkulathoor Maanavar Peravai not evoke his name? And according to students there, these caste tensions ran high especially after the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations (30 October 2008). Within a ten-day span, there had been four assaults on Dalit students. One student of the Mukkulathor caste: Mr. Bharati Kannan, had arranged for rowdies from outside to enter the campus and assault Dalit students. A few Dalit students had been hurt in this attack, but that wasn’t publicized. The chief intention of this oppressive caste students’ organization was to prevent Dalit students from writing their exams. However, the Dalit students who came to know about this, had gone ahead and informed the police who went on to seize weapons from within the campus. The Dalit students also reported this instance to the principal. Because of this widespread fear about what these frenzied casteists (with support from violent/nefarious outside elements) could do to them, around 50-60 Dalit students (primarily those who were keen activists and were publicly known/ identified as ‘Dalits’) refrained from attending the exams. It was the sanest choice, because they had to choose between taking an exam, and having their life taken away. Only those Dalit students whose caste identity was not obvious to a lot of people came to take the exams. These students had complained to the police though about what they were facing. Those who did not undertake the examinations were standing as a group, because of their belief in unity, and belief in the fact that if they were together, they couldn’t be harmed. They also felt that their unity would ensure that other Dalit students (who were taking the exam) would not become victims. However, one Dalit student Chitiraiselvan, who walked out of the exam hall after finishing his exam was attacked brutally by these caste-Hindu Mukkulathor/Thevar students. He was stabbed in the head and his ear was cut off. (News update: A plastic surgery has been performed on him to restitch the ear back into place.) Even as mindless brutality was going on, Chitiraiselvan was stabbed in the stomach. It seems the oppressor caste hoodlums had planned to kill at least half a dozen Dalit students to prove their superiority, that is why they were murderously attacking students who did not even flaunt their Dalit identity. Having realized the possible consequence of where this could lead to, and to safeguard the rest of their friends from further harm, the gathered group of Dalit students decided to retaliate. Nobody must forget that what comes out of video as brutality has a story behind it–this is not to justify the series of events, but to say that there is the other side to the story. The subsequent, and extremely delayed, police intervention turned the tide against dalit students. And I am not even sure I have the confidence to say that things have come to an end. Friends from other places in Tamil Nadu say that Dalit students are being attacked in law colleges in other cities: Coimbatore, Salem and so on. This is how caste has a nuclear fission effect. I think the State has at least done some good by shutting down all law colleges in the state.

Of course, the video coverage doesn’t point out to the students’ caste identities. What has taken place there is a tragedy, it shows brutality. I would blame the police more than anyone else. The police can say that they can’t enter the law college campus without its principal’s permission, but a single shot into the air would have made all the difference in the world. The spectators are more heartless than the rampaging students themselves. And I don’t know where to place trollers like Pasumpon Thevar, who decides to pick on an unrelated person like me simply because I happen to be an Ambedkarist.

I really think being a Dalit student is the hardest job in the whole world. Those who struggle hard and enter the upper crust institutions, are mentally harassed and driven to suicide. In places like the law college, they pay with their blood. When will academic casteist terrorism come to an end?

UPDATES: These are updates that I found in yesterday’s newspaper and
in today’s. I think it will tell you more. It is a pity that
provocative posters continue to appear. . . Bharati Kannan flaunts his
caste and power connections… And, the state police have only arrested
Dalit students so far.

I am in a mood to actually meet all Dalit lawyers who passed out of
the Dr.Ambedkar Govt. Law College and make them share their experience
of both violence and casteism within the college campus. Somethings
have to be recorded.

It’s because of management apathy: Students

Source: Express Buzz

Dhanya Matsa

First Published : 13 Nov 2008 04:43:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 13 Nov
2008 08:55:55 PM IST

CHENNAI: Students of Ambedkar Law College, which witnessed a violent
caste clash on Wednesday, are an angry lot. College authorities,
politicians, police and the media — all came in for criticism.

“This [violence] is an annual feature in our college,” a student, who
wished to remain anonymous, told to this website’s newspaper

“A student is in his deathbed and the principal sits in his office
without taking any action. Why were reformative measures not
introduced all these years,” the final year student asked.

A large number of students cited the condition of the hostels, lack of
focus on education and the syllabus as proof of the college
authorities’ apathy.

Caste consciousness was so deeply ingrained in the minds of the
students that the politicians used the situation to their advantage,
said a third year student. At any given point of time, there were an
equal number of outsiders or former students roaming in the campus.

At the hospital, students vented their grievances against the police.

“They were standing outside the gate [of the college] since afternoon
sensing trouble. But they did not enter the campus.

Journalists saw the state of the students and called for an
ambulance,” said a final year student.

At 8.30 pm, some media channels reported that Arumugham and Bharathi
Kannan had succumbed to their injuries.

This sparked protests. Traffic was blocked in front of general
hospital for more than 40 minutes.

Later, when a correction was carried, the students protested against
the media and demanded an apology.

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Law students leave hostel in fear

Source: News Today Net

R G Jagadish | Fri, 14 Nov, 2008,03:09 PM
.
The clash between students in Dr Ambedkar Law College in Chennai on
Wednesday has led not only to the closure of law colleges in the State
but also the law students hostel on Millers Road at Kilpauk in the
city from where students have begun leaving for their hometown.
.
When enquired about this, some of the advocates and lawyers told this
reporter that the college hostel had been the hub of criminal and
notorious activities.

Hence, it’s not surprising to see some of the decent students leaving
with their bag and baggage in fear, they said.

When contacted, the hostel warden said, ‘failure to check aggression
among hostel students belonging to a particular community had been the
reason behind the violence that had rocked the campus of the Tamilnadu
Dr Ambedkar Government Law College.’

He also said the hostel had witnessed influence of certain political
parties on some of the good students who later took to violent ways to
settle scores.

A student said violence was not unusual at the hostel. ‘Three months
ago, in the hostel canteen, seniors had chopped off the ear of a
junior student for some reason. It is those hostel students, who
belong to the outskirts of Chennai and remote villages where community
clashes are common, who indulge in riots’

He also said that students of a particular community were in the
majority and always thrashed up students from other communities.

Another student Madan said,’ Because of casteism, several outsiders,
including students, who had failed to complete their studies within
the specified period were sharing accommodation in the hostel.

All the rooms in the hostel were stored with lethal weapons alongside
textbooks. This resulted in even the good students getting affected as
many parents dread entering the hostel to visit their wards.’

Kumaran, also a student, narrated a nasty incident in the hostel. He
recalled, ‘When my mother and sister came from Kaatumannar Koil to
visit me in the hostel, some of the students from a particular
community teased my sister and spoke to the two in a filthy
language.’

Kumaran was helpless and did not complain as he feared for his life.
With the situation being thus, the fate of the well-behaved students
is a big question mark.

Chennai law college clash: Buses burnt, vehicles damaged in stone pelting

Source: ZEE News

Madurai, Nov 14: In a fallout of the recent violence at the Dr
Ambedkar law college in Chennai, miscreants burnt a bus here and
damaged 10 buses in the Southern districts, police said Friday.

While a Madurai-Coimbatore bus was set ablaze in the city, 10 buses
were damaged and some passengers injured in stone pelting in the
communally sensitive southern districts late last night, they said.

Fire service personnel from Coimbatore rushed immediately to the spot
and doused the flames.

The buses were attacked at Arapalayam, Villapura, Keeraithurai,
Terkuvasal, Karimedu and Nagamalai Puthukottai between 2100 hrs and
2200 hrs, they said.

However, Officials said bus services resumed after 0700 hrs today to
these areas.

Three students were injured, two of them seriously, when the students
belonging to two communities on Wednesday clashed over a poster, which
did not carry the name of Dr Ambedkar, at the college campus.

Bureau Report

Madras HC orders notice to govt on Law college violence

Source: India Law News

11/13/2008

The Madras High Court issued notice on a public interest litigation
(PIL) petition, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to
take suitable action against police personnel who were present when
violence took place in the Dr. Ambedkar Law College on November 12, in
which four students sustained serious injuries.

A practicing lawyer of the High Court K Balu, who filed the emergent
PIL, also sought the court to grant an interim injunction order
restraining the press and electronic media from publishing,
broadcasting and the incidence of violence which took place in the
college premises.

When the matter came up for hearing before first bench comprising
Chief Justice A K Ganguly and Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifulla, the
Government Pleader (GP) Raja Kalifulla, submitted that the government
has taken stringent action in the matter and against the police
officials.

One Assistant Commissioner of Police, and an Inspector were suspended,
while four other police officials, who were on duty were transferred,
the GP said.

‘The government has also ordered a judicial probe,’ the GP said.

While ordering notice to the government, the court cannot impose
restriction on press and media. ‘The press has to exercise self
restrain,’ the bench observed and posted the matter to November 18,
for further hearing.

UNI

Police slip up is showing, say experts

Source: Express Buzz

By Gokul Vannan
14 Nov 2008 05:26:00 AM IST

Police slip up is showing, say experts

CHENNAI: The bloody battle on the Dr Ambedkar Government Law College
campus on Wednesday has not only exposed the lapses in policing but
also raised questions on the policemen’s knowledge of rules.
First, what action did the police take after receiving intelligence
reports on the movement of about 40 armed students, most of them
hostelers, on the college premises almost one hour before the
incident? After all, around 70 police personnel were posted outside
the gate.
Second, the police watched the battle from outside the gate, saying
they would not enter the campus without the college principal’s plea
for help. Was that the right way of handling it? No, say jurists and
police officers.
Though the rulebook says that the police can enter an educational
institution to tackle disputes only if its head seeks help, the law
does not come in the way of their preventing an attack happening in
front of them, said a senior police officer.
“The decision to act or not is left to the discretion of the police
officers on the spot.
They can take action to prevent crime of serious nature causing damage
to life or property happening within their view and accessibility, “
said the officer.
If an offence is committed in front of their eyes, the law is very
clear that the police should take preventive action, former Director
General of Police V R Lakshmi Narayanan told to this website’s
newspaper.
Retired Supreme Court judge V R Krishna Iyer, when contacted over
phone, said if any congnisable offence happens in any place (expect
the legislative assembly), the police should take preventive action.
Only in the case of the legislature, it is mandatory to get the
permission of the Speaker to enter the premises, he said.
Third, what was the logic behind the heavy police deployment only
outside the front gate when they were aware that the compound wall at
the back of the college was short enough for students to scale it? The
police also knew that the key of the small gate in the back was with
the students. So, why didn’t they post any cop there? In fact, the
students who indulged in violence were seen jumping over the wall to
enter the premises.
Fourth, the police were fully aware of the animosity that was building
up between a group of day scholars from a particular caste Hindu
community and Dalits staying in the hostel since October 30 after a
poster put up on the campus had the college’s name without the Dr
Ambedkar prefix. Why didn’t they take preventive action? This year
witnessed a spike in cases involving law students as the police
registered 12, including an attempt to murder case against a
subinspector in March. In contrast, there were just two cases in 2007
and one in 2006.

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Law college violence: NHRC asks TN to submit report

Source: Hindu

New Delhi (PTI) Taking a serious note of the thrashing of a youth by
fellow students in Chennai, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on
Friday asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a report on the issue
within four weeks.

The Commission asked Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of
Tamil Nadu to submit a report on the beating of the youth by fellow
students at Dr Ambedkar Law College in Chennai on Thursday.

The notice has been issued on a complaint filed by Chennai-based NGOs
World Human Rights Commission and Rescue Centre.

‘Caste Hindus never mingled with us’

Source: Express Buzz

By Gokul Vannan
15 Nov 2008 06:54:00 AM IST

‘Caste Hindus never mingled with us’

CHENNAI: Dalit students of Dr Ambedkar Law College trace the source of
the unending tension on their campus to the persisting caste
atrocities in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, where they face
discrimination and oppression at the hands of caste Hindus.
A majority of students from both the groups that clashed on Wednesday
hail from these districts.
When the caste Hindu students try to extend the same domination over
Dalits in the campus too, the latter, who came to the city in the hope
of getting some relief from the oppression, resent the attitude and
oppose it.
“When we enter the college, we feel we have been empowered.
As we study law, we delude ourselves into thinking that nobody can ill
treat us on the basis of our caste,” said a group of fourth year
students, who were close to the Dalit students named as accused in
Wednesday’s incident.
Some of the accused – Chitraiselvan of Tiruvarur, Tanjore district; V
Govindran and P Govindan of Dharmapuri district; Balamanigandan of
Cuddalore; Jayakumar of Tiruvannamalai; Dilipan Joe of Villupuram; and
S Prabhakaran of Dharmapuri – bore the brunt of caste atrocities in
their villages. “From day one, the caste Hindu students loo ked down
upon us and will not even mingle with us,” they said.
Recalling an incident, a Dalit classmate of Bharathi Kannan, a caste
Hindu who was injured in the clash, said: “When I touched his food
plate in the canteen, he flew into a rage and shouted and flung the
plate away.” The attitude is not confined to students alone. The
entire college, including members of the faculty, display similar
behaviour.
“The professor will address you pointing out your caste identity and
sometimes even there will be a lecture supporting the caste order,”
said a student.
The caste problem starts at the hostel. “According to hostel rules,
Caste Hindus and Dalits should share rooms. But when I approached a
caste Hindu student and asked whether I could share a room with him,
he insulted me,” said a third year student from Cuddalore district.
They prefer staying with caste Hindus only, he added.
“Last year, caste Hindu students staged a protest demanding that
Backward Classes be allowed to stay in a separate block.
When the warden refused it, around 30 BC students left the hostel. But
they successfully deflected the blame on us, accusing us of driving
them out.” There are 30 students from the Backward Classes and other
religions staying with 100 Dalits.”False cases such as homosexual
harassment were foisted on us,” the student said.

‘We had to be violent’

Source: Express Buzz

By Dhanya Matsa
15 Nov 2008 06:56:00 AM IST

‘We had to be violent’

CHENNAI”: “We were just like any other student when we entered the
portals of the law college. If students of New College or Loyola are
not conscious of their caste and we are, you (media) should examine
the reasons rather than point a finger against caste Hindus when it
com es to a Dalit issue. Do you think our parents injected caste
feelings into our blood?” It was a final year student, Ashwathaman,
venting his feelings when asked why students of Dr Ambedkar Government
Law College were divided on caste lines.
Candid about the fact that everyone was aware of everyone’s caste
identity, students of a caste Hindu community said the first thing
they were asked as soon as they entered the college on the first day
was: “What is your caste?” Ragging was based on caste. “The ragging I
endured in their hands cannot be put on print and homosexual assault
was the least of our worries,” said Satish, a final year student.
Vehemently opposing being termed as a caste Hindu, Muthukoo dalingam,
a final year student, said: “Yes, we are Thevars. There are also
Vanniyars, Yadavas, Nadars and Naidus among others castes and a large
number of Christians and even Muslims. We are all united against the
violence they perpetrate on us. Just because the college is named
after Dr Ambedkar does not mean that they run the college or can get
away with several acts of violence.” Asked why they omitted ‘Dr
Ambedkar‘ from the name of the college in the posters,
Muthukoodalingam said Dalit students beat him up last year, when he
was an organiser of ‘Thevar Jeyanthi’ celebrations in the college, for
printing the name. “This year, they created problems becase we left
out the name.” Other students contradicted him. Even last year, ‘Dr
Ambedkar’ was omitted but the clash that broke out was not publicised.
Caste Hindu students said the attack on non-SC students in the hostel
last year landed 30 of them in hospital with injuries and forced
students to seek transfer to other colleges. Now, the hostel was
completely for Dalits.
“We had to be violent as the college authorities turned a blind eye to
our problems. Nobody wanted to be branded as anti-Dalits. Proof of
which is that no action has been taken by the college against erring
students in the last many years. If the college principal had taken
steps three years ago, then the violence would have not escalated to
such levels,” says Ashwathaman.

Law college students target BSP leader

Source: Hindu

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI: A group of students of the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law
College on Saturday attempted to attack a Bahujan Samaj Party
functionary near the General Hospital. Police personnel stationed
there intervened and escorted him to safety.

BSP leader Rajappa of Pallavaram was on his way to see a friend
admitted to the hospital, when the students, seeing the party flag on
his vehicle, surrounded him. The police team sensed trouble and acted
fast.

Irked by the police providing security to the BSP leader, the students
staged a road blockade in front of the hospital and stoned a
Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus. Two passengers were injured.
Traffic was disrupted for a while. Twenty-three students were
arrested. They were released in the evening.

“The police acted in time to rescue Mr. Rajappa from a possible
attack. The students were taken into custody for blocking traffic and
damaging a State-owned bus,” Commissioner of Police K. Radhakrishnan
told The Hindu.A team of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,
led by Director (Economic and Social Development Wing) V.K. Rathi,
arrived here from New Delhi on Saturday. The team went to Government
Royapettah Hospital and recorded a statement from Chithirai Selvan, a
Dalit student injured in the recent clash between students, police
sources said.

BSP State secretary Selva Perunthagai and others representing the
Federation of Dalit Organisations met the Commissioner of Police and
submitted a petition, seeking a fair investigation into Wednesday’s
clash. They said a group of Caste Hindu students had attacked Dalit
students, who objected to the printing of provocative handbills, on
the college campus. They demanded registration of a case under the
SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, against those who attacked
the Dalit students.

The special teams formed to round up those involved in the clash
arrested R. Raja (18) at Kurunjipadi in Cuddalore district and C.
Sivakadiravan (23) in Madurai and Premnath (20) in Thanjavur. They had
allegedly attacked some students during the clash.

Proud of his caste, powerful connections

Source: Express Buzz

By Dhanya Matsa
15 Nov 2008 06:59:00 AM IST

Proud of his caste, powerful connections

CHENNAI: It was a chilling visual. A student on the prowl with a
dagger in his hand at Dr Ambedkar Government Law College on Wednesday.
A few hours later he ended up in hospital with injuries, with three
others.
In college circles, Bharathi kannan, a third year student, is
identified as a DMK party member.
His party loyalty was evident from the two rings he wore – one with
the picture of DMK youth wing chief MK Stalin and the other with Chief
Minister M Karunanidhi. He is also a member of Thevar Peravai, a
citybased association set up for the welfare of the community.
His collegemates considered him powerful, as he stayed in MLA’s hostel
and reportedly wielded influence in the ruling party. His father, K
Karrupiah, was a three-time panchayat president of Palamkulam in
Sivaganga district. His mother, KR Prema, now holds the post.
Karrupiah denied everything.
He said he and his wife contested as independent candidates in the
panchayat elections and that his family had traditionally supported
the AIADMK.
Thiruvadanai Congress MLA KR Ramsamy visited Bharathi kannan in
hospital on Thursday and enquired about his health.
He was only one among the many who made a beeline for the hospital
over the last two days.
Others included PMK president G K Mani and an AIADMK youth wing
leader. Several caste Hindu leaders promised help.
This show of power was ample proof to the other students present that
his family wielded much power back in Devakottai.
Karuppiah said there was no caste consciousness among the villagers.
Asked how he managed to create a peaceful ambience, he said they
(Dalits) were left alone. Bharathikannan was proud of his caste, his
friends said, adding that trouble started when he responded to calls
for help from other non-SC students.

3 law students arrested in districts

Source: Times Of India

16 Nov 2008, 0420 hrs IST, A Selvaraj, TNN

CHENNAI: Three students were arrested from different parts of the
state on Saturday for their involvement in the violence at the Tamil
Nadu Dr
Ambedkar Government Law College. Police teams fanned out across the
state to track down students and nabbed Siva Kathiravan in Madurai,
Raja in Cuddalore and Premnath in Thanjavur. More arrests are
expected.

Three students were seriously injured in the clash between two groups
of students at the college on Wednesday. Police sources said the
students went underground after the clash and were planning to
surrender before court on the advice of lawyers.

Police identified the arrested student as Siva Kathiravan, son of
Ramaiyah of Madakulam in Madurai. He was arrested from his residence
and brought to the city by train. Sources said photos of Kathiravan, a
second-year student, at the scene of the clash had appeared in many
newspapers.

An investigation officer here said that “Kathiravan will be remanded
in judicial custody after he is produced before a magistrate court on
Saturday.”

Raja, 18, a first-year student at the college, was traced to his
native place, Kurinjipadi in Cuddalore and arrested. According to the
the Madurai police, 25 special teams were scouring Cuddalore,
Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari in search of
those involved in the clash. The police used photographs published in
newspapers and also television clips to identify them.

Sources said the political bosses have given the city police the green
signal to take action against the students involved. At a confidential
meeting, police officers complained that criminals often used
political connections to get themselves out of a tight situation. The
ministers assured the police that they would not interfere with the
investigation, a senior police officer attached to the commissioner’ s
office said.

Meanwhile, Madurai witnessed stone pelting, and armed police have been
called in to escort buses plying on the outskirts.

selvaraj.a@timesgro up.com

Chennai: Students fear for their safety after college brawl

Source: NDTV

Madhu Bharathi
Sunday, November 16, 2008, (Chennai)

It took 72 hours for the Chennai police to arrest the main accused
involved in the brutal caste violence in Chennai’s Ambedkar Law
College. The other students studying at the institute fear that their
life is as unsafe.

The students say that violence in the college is a regular feature,
but this time, the barbarism has shaken them up like never before.

“These people will not stop attacking us. I am terrified to even go
near our college now. You don’t know, soon you may have to come find
me admitted in one of the beds,” said Dinesh, a student of Ambedkar
Law College, Chennai.

Despite the fear factor, there are some who say it is time to speak out.

“Our parents do not watch English news channels. If we spoke in Tamil
channels, they would have panicked and called us back home. But we
thought police will at least act if we voice our concerns. I might
even be killed by these attackers,” said Satish, a student of Ambedkar
Law College.

The Ambedkar Law College remains closed indefinitely. The National
Human Rights Commission has asked for a report from the Tamil Nadu
government on the violent attacks. But with the Chennai police turning
mute spectators to the attacks, it’s no wonder that fear looms large
among the students.

Law college violence: five more students arrested

Source: PTI News

Chennai, Nov 16 (PTI) Five more students were arrested on charges of
being involved in the clash between two groups at Dr Ambedkar
Government Law College on november 12, taking the total number of
those arrested in the case to 13.
Police said Siva Kathiravan of Madurai, Raja of Cuddalore and Premnath
of Thanjavur were arrested late last night, while Gopalakrishnan of
Sengottai and Elamugil of Chennai were arrested early this morning.

Except Premnath, all the four students were produced before a lower
court here today and remanded to 15 days police custody.

Soon after the violence, special teams were formed to nab those
involved. The team, headed by two deputy Commissioners, five Assistant
Commissioners and 20 Inspectors, is on the lookout for 15 more
students, who are reportedly absconding.

Three students were injured, two of them seriously on November 12 when
students belonging to two communities clashed in the college campus
over a poster which did not carry the name of Dr Ambedkar. PTI

We were attacked first: Injured student

Source: Express Buzz

Gokul Vannan

First Published : 16 Nov 2008 02:20:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 16 Nov
2008 06:43:28 PM IST

CHENNAI: Chitraiselvan, the third year student of Dr Ambedkar Law
College, convalescing at the Royapettah Government Hospital following
injuries he sustained in Wednesday’s violence, told the National
Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes on Saturday that
he was the first to be attacked allegedly by students belonging to a
backward community on that day. They were armed with deadly weapons,
he told the commission.

S S Sharma, Joint Director of the Commission told to this website’s
newspaper that Chitraiselvan who was inside the campus along with
other Dalit students, when a group of backward class students attacked
him causing injuries on his head and ear.

Seeing blood oozing out of his ears, the Dalit students attacked the
other group of students and later took Chitraiselvan to the hospital.

Chitraiselvan told the commission that it was a poster put up, on the
occasion of Thevar Jayanthi celebrations, by the backward class
students, referring to the law college as “Government Law College‘
without the prefix “Dr Ambedkar,” that had triggered the clash.

The commission has so far not received any complaint on the violence
that broke out on Wednesday. “We came here after learning about the
incidents in the media, to ascertain the details of the victim
(Dalits),” Sharma said.

The commission will not set up an enquiry based on media reports about
the violence. “We will wait for the finding of the commission
appointed by the State Government,’ ‘ Sharma said.

When asked about the increasing caste conflicts in Tamil Nadu
particularly in the southern districts, Sharma said the phenomena was
not confined only to Tamil Nadu and added that even other states
witnessed caste clashes.

“Only if the commission receives complaints, can we enquire and take
action against the accused under Section 338 of IPC. However, he added
that the state unit of the commission was receiving around 300
complaints from SC/ST communities every month. The commission,
comprising its Under Secretary S N Meena and Director (HQ) Rathi,
would spend the next two days in Chennai.

Now, film on Chennai’s law college violence

Source: Hindu

Now, film on Chennai’s law college violence

Chennai (IANS): The recent violence in the Dr Ambedkar Law College
here will be the subject of a forthcoming Tamil movie, a film producer
said Saturday.

“‘Suriyan Sattakkalloori’ has the message that no one is above the law
or should break it. Some of the incidents that attracted the media’s
attention during the past two days will be recreated in the film,” its
producer Siva Shakthi Pandian told IANS.

Featuring Ghajini, daughter of producer Khaja Mohiuddin, the film will
be directed by Pavan, a press statement said.

The film will also be the debut of new find Mithra, it added.

Provocative posters reappear in Chennai

Source: Express Buzz

By Gokul Vannan
15 Nov 2008 07:15:00 AM IST

Provocative posters reappear in Chennai

CHENNAI: A fresh set of wall posters with the law college named
without the prefix ‘Dr Ambedkar,’ appeared at various places in the
city, particularly around the college campus, once again on Friday,
two days after Dalits and Backward Class students fought a pitched
battle, triggered by a dispute over some posters carrying the college
name in the same fashion — as ‘Government Law College‘.
The new posters were, however, to demand the arrest of those who
attacked the BC students, K R Bharathi Kannan and K Arumugham, while
the old posters were put up in connection with the ‘Thevar Jayanthi’
celebrations on October 30.
The wording in the posters were independently provocative — K R
Bharathi Kannan, K Arumugam yandra irandu singangalai koduramaka
thaakiya jaathi veriyarkal … (Caste chauvinists who brutally
attacked the two lions K R Bharathi Kannan and A Arumugham should…)
— and was not considered good reason for the police to act.
The newly appointed City Police Commissioner K Radhakrishnan told
Express that it was mandatory for political parties and social
organisations to obtain permission from the police before putting up
posters. “The one that has appeared in and around the law college was
unlawful, and I will immediately intensify police patrolling in the
city,” he added.

Student violence: New cop warns of action

Source: news.chennaionline.com

Chennai, Nov 14:Chennai’s new Police Commissioner, K Radhakrishnan,
today warned of action in connection with the November 12 violence at
the Dr Ambedkar Law College here which left three students seriously
injured, resulting in the arrest of seven persons.

Speaking to reporters here after assuming office, relieving R Sekar
from the post, Radhakrishnan, said he was scheduled to meet officials
to discuss the matter, before proceeding with the case.

However, he declined to comment more on the case as a judicial
commission would be probing the bloody violence.

But, police would continue with arrests if required, he added.

Warning of strict action against anti-social elements, he said, “we
will enforce strict laws against goondas and gangsters in the city to
ensure peace.” Responding to a query, he said there was no Act which
prevented the police from entering the premises of an educational
institution, but said the permission of the head of the institution
was always obtained as a matter of practice.

Responding to the charge of police “remaining mute spectators” to the
violence at the Law college, he said that the members of the force
required some sensitization programme on acting during times of crises
and confustion. – Agencies

Police to meet law college students

Source: Hindu

CHANGE OF GUARD: Chennai Police Commissioner K. Radhakrishnan (right),
who took over charge from R. Sekar on Friday.

CHENNAI: K. Radhakrishnan, a 1983-batch IPS officer, who took charge
as the new Commissioner of Police here on Friday, promised to take
steps to ensure peace on the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College
campus that witnessed a violent clash between two groups of students
on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, he said the police would convene a
meeting with teachers and students and arrive at an amicable solution.
Asked if the police would enter the college premises in the event of
any clash in future, he said a sensitisation programme would be
conducted for police personnel to educate them on the dos and don’ts
during such situations.

Mr. Radhakrishnan was earlier the Additional Director-General of
Police (Civil Supplies CID). He was posted to Coimbatore as
Commissioner immediately after the serial blasts.

He served as the Inspector-General of Police (North Zone) and Joint
Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

A.K. Viswanathan took charge as the Additional Commissioner of Police
(Law and Order) and will hold full additional charge as the Joint
Commissioner of Police (North Zone).

Injured Dalit Student – ChitraSelvan – Ambedkar Law College

Source: nsemarket

Posted by nsemarket on November 16, 2008

Chitraiselvan, the third year student of Dr Ambedkar Law College,
convalescing at the Royapettah Government Hospital following injuries
he sustained in Wednesday’s violence, told the National Commission for
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes on Saturday that he was the first
to be attacked allegedly by students belonging to a backward community
on that day. They were armed with deadly weapons, he told the
commission.

S S Sharma, Joint Director of the Commission told that Chitraiselvan
who was inside the campus along with other Dalit students, when a
group of backward class students attacked him causing injuries on his
head and ear.

Seeing blood oozing out of his ears, the Dalit students attacked the
other group of students and later took Chitraiselvan to the hospital.

The commission will not set up an enquiry based on media reports about
the violence. “We will wait for the finding of the commission
appointed by the State Government,’ ‘ Sharma said.

The Facts behind the Incidents of violence at Chennai Dr. Ambedkar Law College

Source: Sakya Group

Dear Friends,

This is a fact finding report into the current caste conflict in Chennai.
The purpose is to muster quick support to the Dalit students involved
because they are just feeling helpless. If any of you (including
organizations) wish to come forward, you may contact me. My contact is +91
9820216146.

- Anand Teltumbde

The Facts behind the Incidents of violence at Chennai

Dr. Ambedkar Law College.

The incident of violence on 12.11.2008 at
Dr.Ambedkar Law College has shaken the conscience of every body. This
incident surely needs to be condemned. The reason behind the submission of
details herein is to bring out the facts behind the incidents of violence at
a law college that we all believe is to produce future judges and socially
conscious lawyer.

That clashes take place in the law college is not a new phenomena.
We are shaken thoroughly to know the details of the brewing tension over the
past four years that has broken out violently today. “Thevar Peravai” that
functions with its headquarters at Chennai has been concentrating,
specifically targeting the Thevar community students from the southern
districts of Tamilnadu. It functions primarily in whipping up the passions
and utilizes them for their vested parochial goals. With these students a
casteist organization named ‘ Mukkulothor Student’s Federation” has already
been formed. The main objective of this organization is to target and attack
the Dalits. And they also raise queries like while all other 4 govt. law
colleges are named as Govt.law college, why should the Chennai law college
be named after Dr.Ambedkar and called Dr.Ambedkar law college. Since
Dr.Ambedkar is a Dalit this name should be changed. This is their contention
for their past 4 years. They do not use Ambedkar’s name in any of their
advertisement and mention it only as ‘Chennai Law College’.

Such activities has raised unnecessary discomfiture amonsgtthe
dalit students and raised a sense of hatred between the communities. In all
these issues Bharathi Kannan, belonging to Mukkulathor Student Federation is
the prime culprit. In the recent past,( in 6 months duration) Bharathi
Kannan was waiting with five of his friends with swords in hand prowling to
kill atleast tow Dalit boys. Police came to know of this and arrested him
red handed with 3 long swords in their possession. But they were released
without any complaints been filed against them. Though the college
authorities were in the know of his activities it did not make any efforts
to curb him. In the same manner he with his friends went and attacked the
students of Dr.Ambedkar Law college residing in hostel at Millers road,
Kilpauk. The Principal did not take any action. At least there are 17 cases
including attempt to murder, pending on Bharathi Kannan.

In this circumstance on ’30th October’ during the Thevar Jayanthi
the passion were whipped up. The poster prepared by Mukkulothor Students
Federation expressed the re assertion of its casteist hierarchy, with usages
avoiding Dr. Ambedkar’s name. Also they teased the Dalit students on that
day. The Dalits who questioned this were beaten up and with the law college
students having exams from 3 rd of November, Mukkulothor Students Federation
declared that any Dalit entering the college would be thrashed and killed.
They were roaming around in the college complex with logs, iron rod, dagger
and swords. Dalit boys could not enter the hall. Some Dalit boys came
sneaking through and wrote the exams. Police or college authority did not
take any action even though they were in the know of things.

Only on such a condition they came on 12.11.2008with logs, sticks
etc for self protection. College authorities insisted that the students
should avoid precipitating the issue. The Dalit students retorted stating
that when the college authorities did not take any action when they were
being prevented from attending exams, and they had come there for giving
protection for Dalits and not attacking the Mukkulathor. Since some Dalit
students have come for exams and Mukkulathors have identified and planned to
attack them, they came for their defence. In such a situation
Bharathikannan, Arumugam and Ayyadurai with daggers 2 ft. long, jumped in
shouting that they shall kill at least 5 or so and moved towards the Dalit
students. The Dalit students ran helter- shelter for their safety. When
Bharathi Kannan and Arumugam ran and caught hold of Chithraiselvan, a Dalit
student and tried to stab him down through the head. When he turned and
saved his head his ears were torn off by the dagger. Other students joined
in to save Chithrai Selvan and hit Bharathi kannan and Arumugam.

The sole responsibility for this callous approach rests entirely
with the college authorities. For the last 4years when in the name of
celebrating Thevar Jayanthi, efforts to assert caste hierarchy were being
made, specifically failing to address Dr.Ambedkar Law college as such and
naming it only as Chennai law college, threatening of the Dalit students,
issuing threat to life for those Dalit students who opposed bringing caste
conflict into the campus etc were brought to the notice of the college
authorities no action was taken. Especially, for the last three days when it
was brought to their notice of the magnitude and massive proportion of the
brewing trouble, police or the college authorities made no action was taken
to prevent the same.

In this situation Bharathi Kannan came in with daggers in hand to
attack Dalit students. If the college authorities had acted in time this
incident of violence could have been prevented.

Our demands:

1) Take appropriate action on the Principal for failing to take necessary
action in time to prevent the brewing violence.

2) College authorities should initiate necessary action to prevent the
casteist organizations that function from within the campus triggering
violence.

3) Give due protection to all the students especially the Dalit students.

4) Take necessary action on those behind the incidents of violence, the
organization, Thevar Peravai for fomenting casteist feelings.

5) Take appropriate action on the police authorities that failed to prevent
the students who prowled inside the college campus for the past one week
with weapons.

The violent clashes were waiting to happen

Source: Express Buzz

The violent clashes were waiting to happen

Express News Service First Published : 17 Nov 2008 03:40:00 AM ISTLast
Updated : 17 Nov 2008 08:35:09 AM ISTCHENNAI: The violence that took
place at Dr Ambedkar Government Law College here on November 12 was
waiting to happen. At least that is what several persons in the know
of things say. According to them, the violence on Wednesday last,
could have been prevented had the authorities intervened at the right
time. The authorities of course have a different take on it.

According to students of the college, several minor incidents preceded
the serious clashes that took place on November 12. The setting up of
Mukkulathor Students Forum, by a section of students, is said to be
the bone of contention. Following this, many stray incidents happened
in the college hostel premises that sharpened the caste divide among
students. It is understood that similar brawls had happened in the
hostel in October last as well. All the clashes that have happened in
the recent past have been between Dalit and Mukkulathor students,
sources said.

On October 30, a day prior to Muthuramalinga Thevar’s Guru Pooja,
minor scuffles broke out over the posters that were pasted in the
campus. All the students involved in the scuffle were hostelers.

The omission of the Dr Ambedkar’s prefix, by whose name the college
goes, from the poster-advertisemen ts for the guru pooja function
turned to be the flashpoint between the two groups of students.

When asked, college officials said they have always tried to bring
peace and calm among the students. As regards the recent trouble,
college principal Sridevan and police officials tried to bring a
compromise but failed. “But we never thought that the problem would
become so serious,” they said.

“Unfortunately, the law college hostel has been a centre for casteist
tension for some time now and at least now authorities should take
steps to bring a permanent solution,” former students of the college
– E Abdul Rahimon, V Needhidurai and B Maheswaran – said.

Several of the students who were contacted had a different take on the
problem. They were of the view that there was no tension or caste
rivalry in the college. “It all starts in the hostel,” they opinioned.

A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said that they
(police) were sick and tired of the frequent protests and troubles
created by students of the law college. “Every now and then, they
[students] create some kind of problem. Recently, they picked up a
quarrel with a bus crew and blew it out of proportion,” the official
said adding that on almost all occasions students had behaved in an
unruly manner often resorting to verbal abuse.

“This is one reason why we are hesitant to deal with problems created
by them. Also, a battery of lawyers is always available to defend
without trying to understand the problem.”