M’garh Dalit protesters’ strike enters 6th day

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, April 26

Ten people belonging to the Schedule Caste (SC) community of Sisoth village, who have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Ambedkar Chowk for the last six days, have accused the village panchayat of mounting pressure on them for ending their stir.

The village sarpanch and some other panches came to the dharna spot this morning and asked the protesters to lift the dharna assuring that a resolution regarding allotment of their plots would soon be passed.

“When we refused to call off the agitation without getting the plots, one of the panchayat representatives threatened us of not passing the resolution, if the hunger strike did not end soon. They are intentionally pressurising us for lifting the dharna,” Rajbir, one of the protesters, told The Tribune. He said they had already lodged a complaint with the police against some of the representatives, but no action had been taken so far.

Notably, 15 Dalit families of Sisoth village have been deprived of their legitimate right of getting residential plot of 100 square yards under the government scheme due to ‘caste’ factor.

Significantly, the government authorities have declared the families as entitled, but the village panchayat is not ready to allot them the plots compelling 11 members of the families to sit on a fast-unto-death at the Ambedkar Chowk to get justice.

Meanwhile, a protester, Shriram’s condition who was rushed to the general hospital is stated to be stable. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday after his condition worsened.

The village sarpanch Kela Devi could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.