JOIN US'Dakshina Kannada police have been saffronised'
Many Dalit leaders said that police pose more threat to them than the people of upper caste as very often when they go to the police with problems, the police rebuke them instead of taking action against the culprits. They said that Dakshina Kannada police have been ‘saffronised’. Demanding action against certain police officials they said that workshop on human relation must be held for policemen in the district.
One of the Dalit leaders said that groups of hooligans keep teasing women in a particular Dalit colony in Ullal area. When he brought the issue to the notice of the Ullal SI Nagaraj, the SI used unparliamentary words and threatened to arrest him if he continued to complain against the group of hooligans.
Mangalore University Professor Umeshchandra shared his experience of police misbehaving with him when he had sought help following volatile situation prevailing in the University campus. Dalit Sangharsha Samiti Leader S P Anand said that when their organisation tried to support Umeshchandra, they too had face similar problems.
Anand demanded justice for Umeshchandra, police action with regard to suspicious death of Rajappa, the Dalit who was working in farm of former minister B Nagaraj Shetty and compensation to the family of Aithappa, who died in firing by Andhra Police in Dharmasthala.
Participants complained that grievances meets are not being held in the police stations regularly. Addressing the meet, Superintendent of Police Dr A Subramanyeshwar Rao said that all police stations must compulsorily hold meetings and send the proceedings of the same. He said that out of 27 police stations only one has sent the proceedings.
“Training and sensitisation programmes will be held for the police. Our aim is that policemen should understand the problems of the Dalits and hence from next meet onwards SIs will be asked to attend the meeting,” he said and added that as far as taking disciplinary action against Sub Inspectors who have behaved rudely with the Dalits is concerned, it can not be done in a day or two because there is a system and procedure to be followed.
With regard to a demand of arresting the Editor of a Kannada daily for publishing defamatory articles against Lecturer Umeshchandra, Dr Rao said that it is a very sensitive issue which needs to be handled carefully as it can have an adverse repercussions.
However, he said that legal guidance has been sought in this regard from ADGP.
District Civil Rights Enforcement Cell SP Mithra Heraje and Circle Inspectors were present at the meet.