Ninety Dalit families face discrimination in distribution of drinking water, alleges Gujarat Dalit rights NGO

Will the CM act?

By Our Representative
With summer at its height, and increasing number of villages facing water shortage in Gujarat, facts have come to light which suggest that backward communities, particularly the Dalits, have once again begun to face the brunt of the shortage. In a letter written to Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, Kirit Rathod, programme director, Navsarjan Trust, a Dalit rights NGO, operating from Ahmedabad, has said that in village Samosar, tuluka Muli, district Surendranagar, 90 families of the Dalit community “face extreme discrimination” at the hands of dominant caste persons, controlling village local body, in the distribution of drinking water.
Asking the chief minister to “immediately act”, Rathod in his letter said, the village has for long suffered from acute shortage of water, and things become particularly worse during summer. “Currently, water is being supplied to the Samosar village from the nearby Umarda village panchayat”, the letter says, adding, “However, as for the distribution of water, it is the job of the Samosar village panchayat, which is where all the mischief is done.”
“The problem has become especially acute because most of the sources for obtaining drinking water in the village are situated in the non-Dalit areas. As for the Dalits, as they live in one corner of the village, they are unable to access any water. There is a source of drinking water in the Dalit area, but here water is generally available for a very short duration. Often, Dalits have to wait for several days to access water”, the letter said.
The result is, said Rathod, the Dalits have to go walk a kilometre in order to access water from a well. Currently, when the marriage season is on, the Dalits have to buy water, which is a very costly affair, as most Dalits are wage labourers. “The situation has continued for several years, and despite representations to local authorities, there is no solution. Things have become particularly worse this seaon”, Rathod alleged.
Asking the Gujarat government to act urgently, the letter wants to state officials to provide water to Dalits via tankers free of cost. The letter said, “Immediate action should be taken to ensure that Narmada waters are available to the village, with clear instructions to the village panchayat not to discriminate against the Dalits while distributing water. There should be separate bore and an overhead tank for the Dalit households, where water could be stored.”
This is the second major representation by the Dalit rights NGO to the Gujarat government this season to end discrimination against the backward community for the provision of water. Earlier, following a representation to the state government and a report in Counterview (click HERE to read), the officials of the state social justice and empowerment department directed the district administration, Mehsana, to begin legal proceedings against the dominant sections of Lunasan village of Kadi taluka for consciously barring Dalits from accessing water.
Finding that the complaint by the NGO – which said that the dominant caste people often breached the water pipeline in the Dalit area – had weight, a letter to the district development official, Mehsana, and the district backward class welfare officer, Mehsana, said the officials must act swiftly to start proceedings against the high-caste persons under the Prevention of Atrocities Act. The official notes that the villagers may be forced to migrate from the village if they are not provided drinking water.
Last year during summer, the NGO in association with the Pani Hak Rakshak Samiti, found that the areas around Ahmedabad, in five talukas of Ahmedabad district – Dholka, Dhandhuka, Sanand, Bavla and Viramgam – there was acute discrimination in the provision of drinking water to the Dalits. “Dalit women have to particularly suffer, as they have to walk long distances in order to get water. They are unable to access water at the source nearby due to untouchability practicies”, said a report prepared on the basis of the survey.
The survey identified 1,200 families of the five talukas which had to particularly suffer because of untouchability in accessing water. “Untouchability prevails in accessing water at common bathing spots, public spots meant to wash clothes, community taps, private and panchayat bores, handpumps, common village wells and ponds”, the survey report said.

Comments

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman* Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco* Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas* In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023.

British companies export 'deadly' asbestos to India, other countries from offshore offices

Inside a UK asbestos factory in 1994 before the mineral was banned By Rajiv Shah “The Sunday Times”, which forms part of the powerful British daily, “The Times”, has raised the alarm that though the “deadly” asbestos is banned in Britain, companies registered in United Kingdom, and operating from other countries, “are involved in shipping it to developing nations”, especially India. India, Brazil, Russia and China account for almost 80% of the asbestos consumed globally every year, it adds.

Search This Blog