Bengaluru: Former prime minister and JD S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda on Wednesday threatened to stage a protest in front of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residence in case the state government does not heed his demand for a judicial probe into clashes between people belonging to two castes in his home district, Hassan.
Accusing the police top brass and the local administration of colluding with district in-charge minister A Manju, though the latter alleged triggered a rift between caste Hindus and dalits in Sigaranahalli, Holenarasipur taluk, Mr Gowda told the media that he was humiliated in his own constituency.
“How can I attend parliament? I request the CM to announce a judicial probe. Otherwise, I will stage a protest in front of his residence when parliament is in session,” he added.
Mr Gowda alleged that the district administration had humiliated him to such an extent that he had decided not to attend the forthcoming session of parliament. He alleged that trouble started when members of a Women Self Help group wanted to share money released by a bank. Two factions in the group had a differences over the issue, but it took an inter-caste turn. The dalit group was supported by a vernacular journalist.
He said a similar attempt to create problem was made six months ago, when Mr Raman Gupta was Superintendent of Police, Hassan. The officer managed the issue tactfully but was transferred from the district soon.
First, the local police registered a case saying dalits were not allowed to enter a temple followed by a series of atrocity cases. “I tried calling up the new SP, IGP and the DGP. However, they never responded,” Mr Gowda added.
Dalit CM: dharam joins the chorus
KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar’s call for appointment of a dalit as Chief Minister was backed by former chief minister and veteran leader N Dharam Singh on Wednesday.
Speaking at a function organized here to mark the release of books authored by Dr V Munivenkatappa on the dalit movement, Mr Singh remarked “The cry of dalits for getting the top position has existed from the days of the late B Basavalingappa, but could not materialize.
In the renewed debate on leadership of the state going to dalits , the names of Congress leader in Lok Sabha, M Mallikarjun Kharge, and Dr G Parameshwar are figuring prominently. Dalits are still denied benefits which are due to them”, Mr Singh added.
Dr Jnanaprakash Swamiji of Urulinga Peddi Mutt, Mysuru, underlined the need for dalit organizations spreading their tentacles on the lines of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).
“Dalit Sangarsh Samitis are like seeds capped in a bottle, while the RSS is like a seed sown in soil. The seeds capped in a bottle never bear roots where as the one sown in soil grows into a huge tree”, he observed.
Criticising dalit writers for hankering after awards and rewards for their literary works and dalit organizations becoming professional bodies, the seer said, “Ambedkar, Basavanna and Buddha have become like ATM cards and one can encash them at any time.
If the same trend continues, the number of people living by mortgaging Ambedkar will increase and the number of well off among Dalits will also increase”, he added.
