Latest news with #KarnatakaDalitHorataSamiti
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Dalit forum condemns attack on YouTubers
Mangaluru: The Karnataka Dalit Horata Samiti condemned the attack on YouTubers and a reporter from a private Kannada news channel in Dharmasthala recently. Samiti district leader SP Anand told reporters on Saturday, that while the Dakshina Kannada police arrested one person in connection with the incident, around 50-60 individuals were involved in the attack. "All those responsible must be arrested and booked under stringent laws," he demanded. Anand pointed out that one of the injured, cameraman Abhishek, belongs to the Dalit community. "The FIR should also include provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with sections related to robbery," he said. The Samiti plans to petition the DK superintendent of police and home minister on the matter. According to Anand, the miscreants alleged that false propaganda was being spread on social media about Dharmasthala's sacred place. "We too respect Dharmasthala and are not against it. We only want the police to identify those who orchestrated the attacks," he said. He welcomed the Special Investigation Team's probe into the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala and urged it to bring out the truth. "It is an attack on the democratic process, which is aimed at uncovering the truth," he said. Samiti leader Anil Kumar alleged that the assault was a deliberate conspiracy to suppress facts. "All wrongdoers must be punished. Law is equal for all in this country," he asserted. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Hans India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Rift in the margins? Dalit groups condemn Muslim leaders' remarks
Mangaluru: A press conference by Dalit leaders in coastal Karnataka has brought to light growing discontent within Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe organisations against certain Muslim groups, in the wake of controversial remarks made againstHome Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, a prominent Dalit leader. The Karnataka Dalit Horata Samiti, a district-level Dalit rights organisation, on Wednesday condemned a viral audio clip circulating across WhatsApp groups, in which unidentified Muslim individuals were allegedly heard criticising and insulting Dr. Parameshwara and his daughter following the recent communal violence in Mangaluru. The incident, sparked by the killing of Abdul Rahim, a resident of Koltmajalu in Bantwal, had reignited simmering tensions in the communally sensitive region. 'The remarks against a senior Dalit leader and his family have hurt the sentiments of the entire Dalit community,' said Anil Kumar Kankanady, a district leader of the Horata Samiti. 'Dr. Parameshwara is not just a political figure, but a symbol of perseverance for all Dalits who have risen through systemic adversity. Targeting him with such language is not just personal defamation—it is an insult to the community.' The organisation, which includes several prominent SC/ST activists, demanded the registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those involved in the derogatory comments. The leaders also pressed for immediate arrests and action against those disseminating the voice recordings. Among those present at the press conference were district coordinator S.P. Anand, Vishukumar, Siddappa Basavanagar, Dasharath Daddalkad, Prasad Kankanady, and RJ Karkera. A new political line? While such condemnations might seem like a routine defence of community pride, analysts suggest this incident signals a potentially deeper shift in Karnataka's subaltern politics. Historically seen as allies in struggles against upper-caste hegemony and right-wing politics, Dalit and Muslim groups in Karnataka have shared political space—both in street mobilisations and electoral strategies, particularly within Congress and smaller social justice-oriented outfits. However, recent developments, including competitive victimhood, perceived political neglect, and targeted communal violence in coastal areas, have strained this tenuous solidarity. That a Dalit-led press meet would call out Muslim voices so directly—and link it to broader community insult—suggests that identity-based assertiveness is reshaping grassroots narratives. 'This is a moment of divergence,' notes a Mangaluru-based political sociologist. 'Dalit organisations, long accustomed to being marginal players in coastal Karnataka's communal binary, are now asserting a third front—demanding respect not just from dominant castes or state institutions, but also from other marginalised communities.' Coastal Karnataka's fragile balance Coastal Karnataka has witnessed a complex mix of caste, religion, and regional assertion. While much of the national discourse has framed the region as a Hindu-Muslim flashpoint, caste-based politics—especially among backwards castes and Dalits—has been gaining traction over the last decade. In this context, attacks—verbal or otherwise—on a figure like Dr. Parameshwara, who has held key portfolios including that of Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, are seen not just as personal affronts but as an attack on Dalit political legitimacy. With state elections on the horizon and national parties recalibrating their caste equations, the growing alienation expressed by Dalit leaders in Mangaluru may well ripple beyond the district. Whether this episode marks a passing rupture or the beginning of a deeper shift in caste-community alignments will depend on how political parties, civil society, and state mechanisms respond to the grievance, and whether platforms of solidarity can be rebuilt before mistrust calcifies, say political observers on the coast.
Hans India
04-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
Rift in the Margins? Dalit Groups Condemn Muslim Leaders' Remarks in Mangaluru, Signal Emerging Faultlines
Mangaluru: A press conference by Dalit leaders in coastal Karnataka has brought to light growing discontent within Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe organisations against certain Muslim groups, in the wake of controversial remarks made against Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, a prominent Dalit leader. The Karnataka Dalit Horata Samiti, a district-level Dalit rights organisation, on Wednesday condemned a viral audio clip circulating across WhatsApp groups, in which unidentified Muslim individuals were allegedly heard criticising and insulting Dr. Parameshwara and his daughter following the recent communal violence in Mangaluru. The incident, sparked by the killing of Abdul Rahim, a resident of Koltmajalu in Bantwal, had reignited simmering tensions in the communally sensitive region. 'The remarks against a senior Dalit leader and his family have hurt the sentiments of the entire Dalit community,' said Anil Kumar Kankanady, a district leader of the Horata Samiti. 'Dr. Parameshwara is not just a political figure, but a symbol of perseverance for all Dalits who have risen through systemic adversity. Targeting him with such language is not just personal defamation—it is an insult to the community.' The organisation, which includes several prominent SC/ST activists, demanded the registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those involved in the derogatory comments. The leaders also pressed for immediate arrests and action against those disseminating the voice recordings. Among those present at the press conference were district coordinator S.P. Anand, Vishukumar, Siddappa Basavanagar, Dasharath Daddalkad, Prasad Kankanady, and RJ Karkera. A New Political Line? While such condemnations might seem like a routine defence of community pride, analysts suggest this incident signals a potentially deeper shift in Karnataka's subaltern politics. Historically seen as allies in struggles against upper-caste hegemony and right-wing politics, Dalit and Muslim groups in Karnataka have shared political space—both in street mobilisations and electoral strategies, particularly within Congress and smaller social justice-oriented outfits. However, recent developments, including competitive victimhood, perceived political neglect, and targeted communal violence in coastal areas, have strained this tenuous solidarity. That a Dalit-led press meet would call out Muslim voices so directly—and link it to broader community insult—suggests that identity-based assertiveness is reshaping grassroots narratives. 'This is a moment of divergence,' notes a Mangaluru-based political sociologist. 'Dalit organisations, long accustomed to being marginal players in coastal Karnataka's communal binary, are now asserting a third front—demanding respect not just from dominant castes or state institutions, but also from other marginalised communities.' Coastal Karnataka's Fragile Balance Coastal Karnataka has witnessed a complex mix of caste, religion, and regional assertion. While much of the national discourse has framed the region as a Hindu-Muslim flashpoint, caste-based politics—especially among backwards castes and Dalits—has been gaining traction over the last decade. In this context, attacks—verbal or otherwise—on a figure like Dr. Parameshwara, who has held key portfolios including that of Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, are seen not just as personal affronts but as an attack on Dalit political legitimacy. With state elections on the horizon and national parties recalibrating their caste equations, the growing alienation expressed by Dalit leaders in Mangaluru may well ripple beyond the district. Whether this episode marks a passing rupture or the beginning of a deeper shift in caste-community alignments will depend on how political parties, civil society, and state mechanisms respond to the grievance, and whether platforms of solidarity can be rebuilt before mistrust calcifies, say political observers on the coast.
