Officials 'ensure' Dalits get separate burial ground

Indian Administrative officers continuously taking side with majority people i.e caste Hindus and oppressing the SC/ST people,by joining  with Caste Hindus and local caste  political parties.   The Caste minded and weak   bureaucrats have no courage and efficiency to uphold the rights of SC/ST People.  The Following news item is a classic example. 

WHILE the double tumbler system at some tea shops has come in for much criticism, the practice of allotting a separate burial ground for Dalits continues to prevail in some villages. Even in death, the Dalits are discriminated by noting given a place in the common graveyard. But what is more shocking is that the government officials, who are charged with the responsibility of this form of untouchability, help in perpetuating the discrimination.

A case in point is the decision taken at the meeting recently at the office of the Revenue Divisional Officer at Uthamapalayam in Theni district, where it was decided that the Dalits should bury their dead in the place ear marked for them and not try to intern their dead in the burial ground allotted for non-Dalits.

The caste Hindus of Keelayanur village within the limits of Veerapandi police station in Bodinayakkanur block of Theni district had opposed the Dalits of the village burying their dead in the common burial ground. When the body of Raja, a Dalit, was taken to the common burial ground on January 3, 2011, the caste Hindus objected. This resulted in a clash and police who registered a case and had arrested 13 Dalits and four from other communities.

On January 27, petrol bombs were hurled at the house of Sinnayee, a Dalit woman, critically injuring her. She died at the Government Rajaji Hospital here on February 1. Four non-Dalits l e were arrested. Revenue offis cials convened a meeting in e the village inviting both comd munities, following which it r was decided that the old practice of double burial l grounds should continue.

e Subsequently, another t meeting was held at the ofg fice of the RDO where it was decided that the members of n the Devendrakula Velalar s (Dalits) should bury their dead at the same site they had used earlier. Cremation should also be done there.

The non-Dalits should continue to use the cremation shed on the bank of the river and bury their dead nearby.
It was stipulated that members of the Dalit community should not cremate their bodies at this shed nor bury their dead nearby.

The minutes of the meeting say the president of the Keelayanur panchayat agreed to construct a cremation shed for the Dalits on survey No. 49, and provide a pipeline and electricity, to construct a compound wall for the Dalit graveyard and to seek funds for it from the Collector.

Dalits were also told to ensure that when carrying a body on a bier, flowers should not fall on the streets of other communities. y e RDO'S ORDER r Death no leveller The RDO of Uthamapale ayam in Theni district e recently directed that r Dalits bury their dead in d the place earmarked for them and not try to intern e their dead in the burial  ground for non-Dalits
Source: The Indian Express dated 13.02.2011