Angry Dalits drive out Hissar officer sent by Supreme Court

A Hissar officer was on Wednesday at the receiving end of 100 Dalit families — who had been victims of caste violence — after he went to console them and rehabilitate them in their native Mirchpur village.

The Supreme Court (SC) had directed deputy commissioner (DC) Yudhvir Singh earlier in the day to visit the families and ensure jobs to the victims’ families under government schemes.

Armed with the court order, Singh straightway drove to the Mandir Marg police station, about 6 km from the court complex, but faced an anguished gathering of Dalits.

They prevented Singh, shouted slogans against the Congress government in Haryana and ridiculed the Hissar district administration for its apathy in dealing with the perpetrators of violence against them.

The Dalit families had fled Mirchpur in Jat-dominated Haryana after their houses were torched in a case of caste violence on April 21. The families had fled Mirchpur to escape more persecution and refused to return ever since.

The Dalits attacked Singh when he tried to tell them about the instructions given to him by the apex court.

Singh had barely finished addressing the enraged gathering when one Kamla Devi rose and shouted “My family was burnt alive. I want justice first. Can you or your government give it?” Failing to convince them, when Singh went back to his car, angry protestors didn’t let his car move, an eyewitness said.

And when he tried to escape with his colleagues and securitymen on foot, they chased and manhandled him.

Police came to Singh’s rescue finally. A police official said Singh should have first come to police station and taken adequate security along with him. “This incident happened due to his casual approach,” he said.