Facing a social boycott from upper castes and fearing possible violence all 13 Dalit families of Ansurda village in Osmanabad in Maharashtra have written to district collector Prashant Narnavre seeking rehabilitation near an urban area.
Upper caste youths have no patience or tolerance when Dalits celebrate the birth anniversary of their icon Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. Hence the clash and social boycott resulting in fear of attack. This is happening after 68 years of India's independence on the soil of Ambedkar!
One should pity such a situation happening in some parts of the country once in a while in spite of great leaders advocating harmony and comity among different communities and religious groups. Political leaders and state officials should strive for peaceful living of Dalits in their localities and habitations. Freedom of India has no meaning unless we learn to live together.
As a district collector in Sagar ( a predominantly Scheduled Caste Community people subject to untouchability) in Madhya Pradesh during 1979-82 I made it a point to visit interior areas, make night halts in pitched tents as a part of innovative approach in district administration, stay for an hour or two in Dalit mohalla (colony), take a cup of tea in their hutment along with officials and non officials from higher castes like Sub Divisional Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, village Patel, Block Development Officer. This was to indicate to the villagers that district administration condemned untouchability and the Dalits were a protected lot in the interior pockets of the district.
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