In this Karnataka village, sense of justice, anxiety as 98 get life for attack on Dalit homes

On October 24, a Koppal territory and sessions tribunal sentenced 98 of the 101 accused to beingness imprisonment successful transportation with the 2014 case. The lawsuit stems from an August 29, 2014 incidental successful which 3 houses belonging to Dalit families successful the colony were acceptable connected occurrence aft a idiosyncratic belonging to the Bhovi assemblage (an precocious caste among the Scheduled Castes) was allegedly assaulted extracurricular a movie theatre. During the ensuing riot, Dalits were dragged retired of their houses and assaulted. Over 30 radical were injured successful the incident, according to the police.

In July 2015, conscionable days earlier helium was scheduled to springiness a connection earlier the court, the cardinal witnesser successful the case, Veeresh, was recovered dead. Police declared it a suicide.

While delivering the judgment, justice C Chandra Sekar had observed, “This substance appears to beryllium a lawsuit of caste unit alternatively than an mean mob violence.”

The village, which has a colonisation of 1,774, comprises Madigas (Dalits), Muslims, Scheduled Tribes and Lingayats. A section nonmigratory told The Indian Express that successful astir each precocious caste households successful the village, determination is astatine slightest 1 antheral who was convicted successful the 2014 case.

Despite the constabulary stationed on the main roadworthy dividing the village, the Madigas softly expressed their fearfulness of a reprisal implicit the judgment. Pampathi, 48, from the Madiga community, says helium is blessed to beryllium “finally getting justice”. Pampathi was moving successful a tract owned by an precocious caste household erstwhile his location was acceptable connected occurrence successful 2014. “Thankfully, my woman and children were unharmed,” helium says.

For two-three months aft the incident, Pampathi and his household lived astatine the Ganji Kendra acceptable up by the medication astatine a section authorities schoolhouse for each the victims.

He admits that his happiness implicit the verdict is overshadowed by worries for his future. “I enactment successful fields owned by the precocious castes. It is my lone root of livelihood. I don’t cognize for however agelong I volition person this work. Since the verdict, the colony seems divided erstwhile again. But what tin we do? The instrumentality has taken its course,” helium says.

Pampathi says untouchability is inactive prevalent successful the area. “Madigas traditionally stitched slippers. Their (upper caste residents’) statement is that we don’t instrumentality slippers wrong our house, truthful you excessively should enactment away.”

Panduranga, the lone postgraduate from the colony who besides holds a PhD, is simply a sociology lecturer. A subordinate of the Madiga community, helium says, “When I was studying, we (Madiga students) were made to beryllium separately. Things person changed, but not much. I inactive cannot participate the temples located connected the different broadside (where the precocious caste residents live) oregon get drinking h2o from their houses. Until a fewer years ago, I could not adjacent sojourn hotels, beverage stalls and barber shops tally by different communities,” helium says.

Stating that the colony has a “history of atrocities”, Basavaraj, besides from the Madiga community, alleges, “In 2003, Dalits were tied to poles and assaulted connected the charges of stealing crops. Nothing happened to the accused successful the case. After the 2014 incident, an FIR was filed. For three-four years, we were boycotted — not conscionable here, but besides by adjacent villages. We had to question 12 km to Gangavathi to get groceries.”

Talking astir “compromise attempts”, Basavaraj says, “A fewer years aft our boycott, they (upper castes residents) realised that it was not working. The Madigas were past allowed to bargain groceries successful the village. On February 12-13 this year, the precocious caste residents organised and celebrated a temple just successful a Madiga country with us. Then, they asked america to retreat the case. However, we insisted connected the instrumentality taking its ain course.”

Accusing a conception of the media of portraying the caller verdict arsenic a “harsh” punishment, Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (DSS) Koppal territory president Manjunath Dhoddamani says, “We invited the judgment. Though the verdict did not marque nationalist headlines, we anticipation it volition service arsenic a informing to the precocious caste residents to dainty america arsenic their equals.”

Meanwhile, connected the different broadside of the roadworthy successful the village, daze and despair implicit the “unanticipated verdict” are writ ample connected the faces of the convicts’ families. Pointing to the crops acceptable for harvest, they said the men who were expected to beryllium moving successful the fields are present successful prison.

On October 24, Ramanna Bhovi, 38, who was among those sentenced to beingness term, died of a bosom onslaught hours aft the verdict. Locals judge that Ramanna, who suffered from different ailments, could not carnivore the daze of the verdict since the accused had already spent 48 days successful jailhouse aft the 2014 incident.

Of the 5 men convicted from 70-year-old Sanna Mudiyappa’s family, 1 died 3 months ago. Sanna says, “We did not travel the tribunal proceedings closely. The lawyer excessively kept america successful the dark. Many of america thought that the 48 days we spent successful situation (in 2014) was each the punishment we would service successful the case.”

Lawyer Umesh Malekoppa, who represented the convicts, denied Sanna’s claims. “I americium successful interaction with each the accused. We volition situation the verdict successful the Karnataka High Court,” helium adds.

Amaramma, the woman of convict Sangamesh, says, “On Monday (October 21), helium near the location saying the lawsuit was closed and that helium was going to motion something. Then, we heard astir his imprisonment from the news. I don’t adjacent cognize what jeevavadhi punishment (life imprisonment) is. My children person been asking astir their father’s whereabouts, but I person nary reply for them.”

Five men from Chennaveeraiah Swamy’s associated household were convicted successful the case. Swamy, the sixth accused, died successful 2016 owed to age-related ailments. With each big men from the household successful custody, the women person been grieving since the verdict.

Rudramma, an Anganawadi worker, is disquieted since the arrests of her elder member and son. “My niece’s matrimony is coming up and we don’t cognize what to bash since her begetter is successful jail.”

Parvathi, woman of convict Nagashekaraiah, claims that her hubby was not progressive successful the 2014 incident. She says, “After the riots (in 2014), the constabulary took the voters’ database to azygous retired men belonging to non-Madiga castes.”

Stating that she gave commencement conscionable six months ago, she wails, “He (Nagashekaraiah) near the location with the others saying the lawsuit was closed. Now they are telling maine that helium volition ne'er instrumentality home. If that is the case, delight nonstop maine to jailhouse truthful I tin unrecorded with him there.”