Dalits to boycott local body polls

As many as 35 Dalit families of Budihalli in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district have decided to boycott the taluk, zilla panchayat polls as a mark of their protest against atrocities by upper castes.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the families alleged that they had been ostracised by the upper castes for years together. Landless Dalits were not being allowed to eke out livelihood by collecting wood from the gomala. The Dalits have been leading miserable lives in huts on the outskirts of the village.

Accusing the Deputy Commissioner (Chitradurga district) of ‘anti-Dalit’ stand, they said rehabilitation has become a mirage as nothing has come out of the Rs 63 lakh released by the government for the purpose. The district administration, instead of responding to the woes, has been denying that the atrocity took place, they said. The Dalits said it was a travesty of democracy that their plight had not come to the notice of any elected representative and hence they would not cast vote in the local body polls.

Eluding road

The residents of Haluvadi village in Mandya taluk will also refrain from exercising their franchise, but for a different reason. They have also gone a step further by deciding not to allow any vote-seeking politician into the village. The reason: two decade slumber on their demand to repair a road.

Haluvadi, which comes under Taggahalli ZP constituency has more than 1,800 voters. The residents had been demanding repair of the road leading to their village and what followed is plethora of promises only to be reneged on time and again.

Transport Minister Ashoka, during his recent visit, had promised to repair the road at a cost of Rs five crore, which however, is yet to be translated into action. The villagers have also decided to stage a dharna in Mandya on Tuesday to draw the attention of the authorities.