No water, no medicine: Dalits face social boycott from upper caste Hindus

executive@coastaldigest.com (News Network)
April 26, 2017

Prakasam, Apr 26: Gonugunta, a small village in Prakasam district of coastal Andhra is in the news for reasons not so encouraging. Dozens of Dalits in the village are facing social boycott from upper caste Hindus.

dalit

Trouble began after the upper caste Hindus excluded two Dalit hamlets attached to the main village from the “Bottu Rayi” installation function on April 21. Now the Daits are denied access to water, medicines, groceries and other essential commodities.

The poor Dalits allegedly incurred the wrath of the upper caste Hindus after they objected to fixing the village boundaries excluding the two Dalit hamlets. Consecration of “'Bottu Rayi”(sanctified stone) is a Dravidian practice to ward off evil forces and ensure prosperity of residents of the village. Eight stones are also placed in eight different directions as advised by Vasthu experts to fix the village boundary.

“We are also born and brought up in the village, but are not treated as part and parcel of the village now. Even dogs are allowed to roam freely in the village. But we are disallowed for questioning them. We are not allowed to board the auto-rickshaws plied by “caste” Hindus, who have stopped talking to us now,” said a group of Dalits.

“They do not sell milk to us any longer,” complained K. Kalyan, on whose complaint the Chimakurthy police registered a case under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

They now have no option but to go all the way to Chimakurthy or K.V. Palem to purchase essential commodities, added sarpanch K. Venkaiamma, also a Dalit.

“We are also not allowed to work in the farms of upper caste people,” complains a Dalit youth Vinod, getting ready to move out to Hyderabad where his friends eke out a living doing sundry jobs.

Only in 2008, the Dalits were allowed entry into the temple after the Kula Vivaksha Porata Sangam (KVPS) took up their cause.

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Agencies
March 28,2025

Udupi: Deputy Commissioner K. Vidya Kumari has directed officials to expedite land acquisition for designated industrial zones in the district to facilitate new industries. She issued these instructions during a meeting at Rajatadri on Wednesday.

Lands have been identified across various taluks for industrial development. The DC emphasized that KIADB must acquire these lands and ensure essential infrastructure—electricity, roads, and drainage—to attract industries and generate employment.

A total of 77 acres of private land has been acquired and compensated, including 31.2 acres in Kerebettu village, Hebri taluk, and 45.7 acres in Shivapura village. However, approval for 36.5 acres of government land is still pending. She instructed the forest department to assess whether this land falls under an eco-sensitive zone.

For the Belapu Industrial Area, the DC urged officials to accelerate minor land acquisitions for road expansion and commence construction at the earliest. She also mandated rainwater harvesting systems for all units in the Miyaru Industrial Area to tackle water scarcity.

Currently, 22 export-based units operate in the district. The DC encouraged further promotion of exports and an increase in their number.

The meeting was attended by Joint Director of Industries Nagraj V. Naik, KIADB Development Officer Srinivasa Murthy, Small-Scale Industries Association District President Harish Kunder, Deputy Director of the District Industrial Center Seetharam Shetty, District Skill Development Officer Arun B., and others.

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News Network
March 21,2025

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Assembly on Friday passed Bills doubling the salaries of the chief minister, ministers, and legislators, adding an annual burden of ₹62 crore on the exchequer.

The CM's monthly salary will increase from ₹75,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, while ministers will see a 108% hike, from ₹60,000 to ₹1.25 lakh. MLAs and MLCs will get ₹80,000 per month, up from ₹40,000, and their pension will rise from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000.

The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill were passed without debate, as the Opposition BJP protested in the well of the House.

The Bills cited the rising cost of living as justification for the hike. The Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council chairperson will now receive ₹1.25 lakh per month, up from ₹75,000.

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coastaldigest.com news network
March 20,2025

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), Karnataka’s second busiest airport, has seen 148.5kg of gold smuggled between 2019 and December 2024, with 90% arriving from the UAE. Customs officials recorded 346 cases, averaging 30kg of gold seized per year (2.5kg per month). Most smugglers are from Kerala and Bhatkal.

A senior customs officer revealed that MIA sees at least five gold smuggling cases per month. Numbers dropped during the pandemic but surged after flights resumed. Many offenders are first-time carriers, while some are habitual smugglers. With fewer flights, customs thoroughly checks passengers, making smuggling harder.

Smugglers constantly innovate concealment methods. Hiding gold in the rectum remains common, but gold is also found in trolley bags, mobile covers, chocolate boxes, milk powder, biscuit packets, and clothing layers. Electronic devices like car speaker magnets, LED bulbs, AirPods, wristwatches, and ballpoint pens have been used.

Unusual tactics include hiding gold in a woman’s hairband, a baby’s diaper, and even a kheer mix packet (347g). In one case, a passenger attempted to smuggle 100g in his mouth under a mask but was caught.

Officials note that while the UAE remains a key source, smugglers now bring gold from other Gulf countries, continuously adapting to evade detection.

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