Assault on eve-teasing victims: Dalit bodies seethe with anger

Bengaluru: An eve-teasing case is turning out to be a flashpoint as Dalit organisations across the State are demanding action against accused forward caste persons for assaulting Dalit girls and their family members in the Tadigol village of Karnataka's Kolar district.

A group of people with sticks attacked three Dalit girls and their family members on September 7. The video of the attack went viral on social media.

The girls and their family members suffered serious injuries and the police have arrested two persons so far.

According to the police, the girls had questioned the accused on eve-teasing earlier. When the eve-teasers continued with their habit, two boys were thrashed in a bus on September 6. That video had also gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, Dalit organisations came out in open for the support of the girls and demanded action against the accused persons and they have also urged the state police department to ensure the safety and security of the girls and their families.

"Similar assaults were found in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Dalits. Now we are witnessing such attacks in Karnataka. The assaulted Dalit girls should be provided protection and compensation," demanded Federation President Karya Basavanna from Mysore.

Dalit Rights Committee, Karnataka State Oppressed Communities Forum, Karnataka Regional Farmers Association, All India Ambedkar Sena have also condemned the incident. Jayaraju, a Dalit leader, said the girls travelled by bus every day. They were the victims of eve-teasing. When questioned about this, a 50-member group from the forward caste dragged the girl and her family members out of the bus and attacked them with sticks. He demanded that the accused be arrested soon.

R. Krishna from the Dalit Rights Committee charged that the police department was trying to hush up the matter just by filing a case and a counter case. Only two persons have been arrested in the case and a chance has been given to the rest of 48 accused to escape. He demanded the arrest of all the accused persons. The police should lodge a complaint under the SC-ST Act. The injured persons must be compensated and girls who are living in fear must be assured of security, said R. Krishna.