Mangalore, Dec 1: Members of the Dalit community raised issues and sought intervention of the police department in allotting the'Depressed Class (DC) land' which is reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the district, at the SC/ST monthly grievance meeting in the SP's office here on Sunday.
Speaking at the meeting chaired by Superintendent of Police Shantanu Sinha, Dalita Hakkugala Horata Samiti president L Shekhar said that despite their efforts and demands for several years, action has not been taken to repossess the depressed class land in the district. Nearly 43 acres of this land - which, during the time of the British were reserved primarily for Dalits – have been given to SDM society in Ujire, he said, demanding that the land should be repossessed and distributed among the Dalits.
Dalit leader S P Anand and P Keshav also urged the police department to resolve the issue of DC land so that justice could be ensured to Dalits.
Additional Superintendent of Police Shivakumar replied that the issue of DC land was purely related to revenue and civil departments and the police department does not have a say in this regard.
“It is an administrative matter, which should be brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner who is in charge of the land,” he said, instructing the leaders to submit their plea in the form of a written application which would be forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner.
Police inaction in several cases
Mr Shekhar also alleged members of an NGO of trying to forcefully evict families of Malekudiya tribe who have been residing in Kudremukh National Park in Belthangady taluk from decades.
“The police department is ineffective in taking proper action when complaints were filed. Although few persons are troubling the Malekudiyas living in forest areas, the police does not respond to these complaints. Even the inhuman practice of'made snana' in Kukke Subramanya temple in Sullia taluk continues to be held inspite of several protests against it,” he claimed.
To this, SP Sinha said that the issue of'made snana' was at the government level and it was upto the cabinet to take a decision on the practice.
In the sexual assault case of a Dalit teacher in Bantwal rural station limits, Mr Keshav sought the status of the investigation, to which, the police official concerned replied that the accused in the case had sought anticipatory bail.
In the case of Shivakumar belonging to the Dalit community being assaulted in a public place in Sullia taluk, the official concerned said that both the accused in the case had been arrested the previous day.
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