Tenuous calm in Maradaghatta

Members belonging to the upper caste are reported to have destroyed water cisterns, installed at Kyasamballi hobli in Maradaghatta village in Jakkarasanakuppa Gram Panchayat limits of Bangarpet taluk on Friday. In order to ensure that drinking water is not supplied to the dalits, the upper caste members are said to have destroyed the water cisterns.

A tenuous calm prevails in the village which witnessed this incident.

For the last several days, the members residing in the dalit colony, in Maradaghatta village, which comes under Jakkarasanakuppa Gram Panchayat limits, were facing acute drinking water shortage. Though the matter was brought to the notice of the Gram Panchayat secretary, by the leaders of the Dalit colony, it had failed to yield any results.

The matter turned worse in the last one week for the dalit members due to lack of water supply, and Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Dr Venkatswamy instructed the Gram Panchayat secretary to supply water to the village immediately.

When water was being supplied to the cisterns  installed in the dality colony on Friday, about 30 members belonging to the upper caste, arrived on the spot and expressed their anger over the supply of drinking water to the dalits. In a fit of anger, they are said to have destroyed the cistern and are also said to have hurled abuses, according to the village members.

Politically motivated

Maradaghatta village consists of about 70 families. It is said that the dalits are unhappy over the turn of events and strongly believe that all these incidents were politically motivated. Maradaghatta is situated beside the native town of Bangarpet MLA M Narayanswamy.

District co-ordinator of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samithi Soolikunte Ramesh, who visited the spot, expressed that the district administration had totally failed in providing protection to the dalits in the district.

He urged the authorities concerned to immediately arrest the culprits who were responsible for this act. Inspite of 62 years of independence, the dalits were still not able to lead an independent life. He urged the district administration to take measures to provide security to the dalits, who were scared after the incident.

Sub Inspector Venkatesh, Social Welfare Department officer Chowdappa and M K N Murthy who visited the spot stated that they would prepare a mahajar and lodge a complaint against the culprits, who were responsible for the act.

District Social Welfare Department officer Pradeep visited the spot and instructed the officials concerned to ensure that such incidents did not take place again. Later on, he instructed to lodge a complaint at the police station, in this regard.