4 killed as Dalits crushed under tractors, women thrashed in violence over land dispute in Rajasthan

May 16, 2015

Nagaur, May 16: Scores of Dalits have fled their homes in Rajasthan's Nagaur district after four people were killed by Jats, some of them run over by tractors, during a sudden flare-up of violence over a decades-old land dispute.

dalith runSix women of the Meghwal Dalit community women who were seriously injured during the clashes in Dangawas village, 250 km from state capital Jaipur, on Thursday alleged that Jats tried to rape them.

The dispute revolves round 24 bigahs of land that were mortgaged by a Dalit man 40 years ago for a loan of Rs 1,500. The man's son, 65-year-old Ratanram Meghwal, had approached Jats, the region's dominant upper caste, to give up their claim on the land but they refused.

Tensions spiked on Thursday morning when supporters of Chimanram Jat began moving towards the home of Ratanram Meghwal, which was built on the disputed land. There was a pitched battle when one group tried to occupy the land, said police officer Purna Ram.

Members of the Dalit community too gathered and took position on the roof of Maghwal's house. When the Jats got closer, Meghwal's supporters allegedly opened fire.

This enraged the Jats, and hundreds of them gathered in the choupal (common assembly area) of Dangawas and decided to attack Meghwal's home. Jats armed with guns, axes and other weapons rode dozens of tractors towards the disputed land.

Sources in Dangawas said a war-like situation prevailed in the village as the Jats crushed Meghwal's house with tractors and the two groups exchanged fire.

Three Dalits -- Meghwal, Pokaram and Pancharam - and an OBC man identified as Rampal Gosain died while women were allegedly dragged out of Meghwal's flattened house and beaten.

Reports said some of the Dalits who died were mowed down with tractors. The men on tractors also chased a woman in a bid to crush her. Though the woman evaded the tractors, she was caught by some men and thrashed with sticks, sources said.

Thirteen people, including women, were injured in the clash. The injured were admitted to Jawahalal Nehru Hospital in Ajmer. Officials described the condition of two of them as critical.

One of the injured, Bhanwari Meghwal, who suffered fractures in both legs and arms and had 15 stitches on her head, alleged that two Jat men tore off her blouse and tried to tear her ghaghra (a frock worn by village women) in an attempt to rape her. But she said she had saved herself.

Four more Dalit women - Sonika, Shobha, Badami and Papuri, who are being treated at the hospital in Ajmer - alleged they were mercilessly beaten and molested by Jat men.

"One of them grabbed my hair and dragged me about 50 metres before tearing off my duppata and hitting me on my legs and arms with an iron rod, resulting in multiple fractures," alleged Badami.

Some members of the Dalit community alleged that the Jat men had assaulted the Dalit women and tried to insert rods in their genitals. However, police officers and doctors treating the women denied this claim.

Angry Dalit leaders said they would not take the bodies of dead members of their community from the mortuary unless 13 Jat men named in an FIR were arrested.

The FIR against the 13 Jats was filed at Merta police station on Thursday. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Police officer Purna Ram said four teams had been formed to nab the accused. "We will soon arrest them," he said.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Lucknow, Mar 5: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said last night that the role of teachers would come under the scanner when "anti-India" slogans are raised at universities and institutions of higher education.

"When anti-India slogans are raised at institutions of higher education, we should be prepared to ask why this type of distortion occurrs among our students?" he said at a programme organised by the Basic Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow.

"We begin our work with pledge for the country's unity and integrity and today slogans are raised for the division of the nation. In such a situation, questions are raised over the role of teachers who are considered equal to god in society," he said.

"Who all are involved in this sin and chaos? Governments can provide resources, but the one who has given them basic education, who has given them secondary education and who has led them to that place, all of them should evaluate their actions today," the chief minister said.

Speaking about the condition of education in the state when his government came to power three years ago, he said there was an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy in the state and the condition of basic education was very bad.

"The worst problem was that of proxy teachers. Our government started the process of prohibiting proxy teachers in the first phase," he said.

Adityanath said that a teacher is not just a government servant, but the fate of the nation. He said teachers should learn from Chanakya.

Had Chanakya confined himself to Nalanda University, he would not have been able to make India a superpower of the world during that period. Teachers will have to prepare themselves according to the challenges and need of society, he added.

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Agencies
July 20,2020

New Delhi, Jul 20: Reiterating that China has still occupied India's territory, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power which has now become India's biggest weakness as he has to protect the idea of 'Chhapan Inch'.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader posted a video message and wrote, "PM fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power. It was his biggest strength. It is now India's biggest weakness."

In the video message, speaking on "China's Strategic Game Plan" the Congress leader said: "What is China's strategic and tactical game plan? It is simply not a border issue. The worry I have is that the Chinese are sitting in our territory today. Chinese don't do anything without thinking about it strategically."

"In their mind, they have mapped out the world and they are trying to shape the world. That's the scale of what they are doing. That's what Gwadar is, that is what belt and road is. It is a restructuring of the planet. So when you are thinking about the Chinese you have to understand that that is the level at which they are thinking," he added.

Now at the tactical level, they're trying to improve their position. Whether it is Galwan, whether it's Demchok or whether it is Pangong Lake. The idea is to position themselves, he said.

"They are disturbed by our highway they want to make our highway redundant and if they are thinking larger scale, they want to do something with Pakistan in Kashmir. So it is not simply a border issue. It is a border issue designed to put pressure on the Prime Minister of India," the Congress leader said.

"And they are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing, is that they are attacking his image. They understand that it in order for Mr Narendra Modi to be an effective politician; in order for Mr Narendra Modi to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of--Chhapan Inch. And this the real idea the Chinese are attacking. They are basically telling Mr Narendra Modi that if you do not do what we say, we will destroy the idea of Mr Narendra Modi as a strong leader," he added.

Gandhi continued saying, now the question is, how will PM Narendra Modi react. Will he take them on? Will he take on the challenge and say absolutely not, I'm the Prime Minister of India. I do not care about my image I'm going to take you on. Or will he succumb to them?

"The worry I have so far is that the Prime Minister has succumbed. The worry I have is, the Chinese are sitting in our territory today and the Prime Minister has said publicly they are not, which to me tells me that is worried about his image and defending his image," said Gandhi.

"And if he allows the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the Indian Prime Minister will no longer be worth anything for India," he added.

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Agencies
January 24,2020

Indore, Jan 24: Around 80 Muslim leaders of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Friday resigned from the primary membership of the party in protest over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, calling it a "divisive" measure.

One of the leaders, Rajik Qureshi Farshiwala, said around 80 Muslim partymen have resigned from the BJP's primary membership after writing to the newly-appointed national president, J P Nadda, on Thursday.

These leaders, who dubbed the CAA "a divisive provision made on religious grounds", include several office- bearers of the BJP's minority cell, he said.

"It was becoming increasingly difficult for us to participate in our community's events after the CAA came into existence (in December 2019).

"At these events, people used to curse us and ask us how long we plan to keep quiet on a divisive law like the CAA?" he said.

"Persecuted refugees of any community should get Indian citizenship. You cannot decide that a particular person is an intruder or a terrorist merely on the basis of religion," Farshiwala added.

In their letter, the Muslim leaders stated, "Citizens have right to equality under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. But the BJP-led Central Government is implementing the CAA on religious grounds.

"This is an act of dividing the country and against the basic spirit of the Constitution."

Some of the leaders who have resigned are considered close to BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

When asked about the development, Vijayvargiya on Thursday evening said, "I am not aware of the matter. But we will explain (about the CAA) if a person is being misled."

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