Haryana Assembly Polls: Dalits live in fear in Mirchpur, have no hopes from any party,Haryana election news updates, Haryana political news, latest and political news 2014
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- Category: Haryana News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 21:05
Haryana Assembly Polls: Dalits live in fear in Mirchpur, have no hopes from any party
Mirchpur: As Haryana is going to polls on October 15, caste factor continue to play a crucial role in the state politics. Dalits make up 20 per cent of Haryana's population, above the national average of 16 per cent, but social and political clout still remains with the Jats.
In 2010, a Dalit family in Mirchpur was set ablaze just because their dog bit a member of the Jat community. The Jats set a physically challenged girl Suman and her father Tara Chand on fire along with several Dalit homes. Even after four year, Mirchpur remains tense.
Tara Chand's 75-year-old mother Phooli Devi still lives in constant fear. She said, "Where can we even go? There is no escape for us. We have lived here, we will die here." Even others shared her apprehension.
One of the residents said, "We don't want to stay here for even a minute. But we have no option, where else do we go?" Another resident said, "We have young kids, young daughters. Where can we take them?"
But the Jats remain dismissive and insensitive to the incident. They said, "We didn't do anything wrong. The man anyway suffered from asthma, even the girl wasn't completely alright. What happened was no big deal. The Dalits were at fault, why couldn't they apologise. All they had to do was accept their mistake."
The homes that were burnt, were repaired and painted by the government. But the Dalits are too scared to return. Its ironic that these new looking homes were occupied by the CRPF. Six CRPF posts are guarding nearly 250 households at the Valmiki colony of Mirchpur. Locals said if it wasn't for their presence surviving here would be impossible for the Dalits of Mirchpur.
One of the Dalit residents said, "It doesn't matter who we vote for now. Be it Hooda, or Chautala, we have no hope from any party." Another said, "We won't vote for Congress again." Dalit anger may well have spread beyond Mirchpur and could cost Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Congress party dearly.
src:ibnlive