Ironically,
the police acted as spectators when the RSS attacked the Dalit
protesters. The violence in Vadayampady is one among the several recent
instances of the police brutality and connivance in the RSS led
onslaught against Dalit protestors and media reporters in the state. It
is alarming that even the state police forces commanded by a left
government is colluding with the right wing religious extremists to
protect the interest of the upper caste, their illegal claims and acts
of social segregation. This and the subsequent inaction by the law
enforcing agencies had enabled a vacuum in law and order leading to
physical and verbal assault against poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar by the RSS
outfits on his way back to his home after declaring his solidarity with
the Dalit protesters. We strongly condemn the attack on Kureepuzha
Sreekumar.
We are also concerned about the cold
response of the government and the left parties who attempt to
side-line the police violence as a ‘minor issue’. CPI-M and other left
parties in the government are supposed to be part of the progressive
forces of the country. But it is felt that the Dalit-Adivasi agitators
are often portrayed by even the dominant left as
Maoists/anarchists/terrorists in their attempt to strategically
delegitimise the Dalit-Adivasi Struggles. We are afraid that this would
result in the weakening of fight against various social injustices
while increasing the attack on the marginalised groups in the country.
The current Dalit struggle in Vadayampady which has been ongoing for
more than a year has roots in how Dalits, Adivasis and other
marginalized groups in Kerala have been discriminated against accessing
public places, and deprived of land and resources by both left and right
wing governments. We feel strongly than ever now that the situation of
state forces colluding with right wing religious forces unleashing
violence against Dalit protesters in Kerala is equally alarming that of
the cases of from elsewhere from the country and needs to be resisted.
We call forth all the progressive forces in the country and beyond to
contempt and challenge the increasing violence against the Dalits and
urge those agencies whose mandate to uphold the values and rights
promised in the constitution to take steps to bring the culprits before
the law in a befitting manner.
Signatories:
1. Ruth Manorama, National Convenor, National Federation of Dalit Women, Delhi
2. Anand Teltumbde, Writer, political analyst and civil rights activist with CPDR, Maharashtra
3.
Gajendran Ayyathurai, Postdoctoral Fellow and Study Advisor, Centre for
Modern Asian Studies, University of Gottingen, Germany
4. Sharika Thiranagama, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, United States
5. Virginius Xaxa, Professor of Eminence, Tezpur University, Assam
6. M. Kunhaman, Professor, TISS, Mumbai
7. Rupa Viswanath, Professor, Centre for Modern Asian Studies, University of Gottingen, Germany
8. A.K. Ramakrishnan, Professor, School of International Studies, JNU, Delhi
9. K. Satyanarayana, Professor, EFLU, Hyderabad
10. Sanal Mohan, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences and Hon. Director, IUCSSRE MG University, Kerala
11. Asha Kowtal, General Secretary, Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch
12. M. Amruth, Historian and Sociologist, KFRI, Thrissur, Kerala
13. T.M. Yesudasan, Retired Professor and Writer, Kerala
14. K.S. Madhavan, Writer, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Calicut
15. Cynthia Stephen, Writer and Researcher
16. Sylvia Karpagam, Public health doctor and researcher.
17. Ravichandran Bhathran, Founder of Dalit Camera
18. Karthik Navayan Batulla, Writer, Human Rights Activist
19. Irfan Engineer, Director of CSSS, Mumbai
20. Sruthi Herbert, SOAS, University of London, United Kingdom
21. M.B. Manoj, Assistant Professor, Department of Malayalam, University of Calicut
22. Vikramaditya Thakur, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware, United States
23. Rekha Raj, Programme Manager-Women Rights, Amnesty International, Bengaluru
24. Rajesh Komath, Assistant Professor, School of Social Science, MG University, Kottayam
25. Parthasarathi Muthukaruppan, Assistant Professor, EFLU, Hyderabad
26. Sumeet Mhaskar, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Student Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University , Delhi.
27. Abhilash Thadathil, Assistant Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
28. Mythri Prasad-Aleyamma, Associate Fellow, Institute of Human Development, New Delhi
29. Anish Vanaik, Assistant Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University, Delhi
30. Varsha Ayyar, Assistant Professor, Centre for Labour Studies, TISS, Mumbai
31. T.V. Sajeev, Scientist, KFRI, Thrissur
32. Brahmaputhran, Daya Hospital, Thrissur
33. Prashanth Bansode, Associate Professor, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune
34. Satheesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, History, University College, Thiruvananthapuram
35. M.V. Bijulal, School of International Relations and Politics, MG University, Kottayam
36. N. Gopakumaran Nair, HoD, History, University College, Thiruvananthapuram
37. K.M. Sheeba, Associate Professor, Department of History, Sree Sankaracharya University, Kalady, Kerala
38. Dickens Leonard M, Guest faculty, Univ. of Hyderabad.
39. Mythri P.U., School of Distance Education, University of Calicut
40. Manju E.P. PhD Research Scholar, Univ. of Hyderabad
41. Sanjay Kumar Paswan, Independent research consultant for social sector agencies, Patna
42. R. Manohar, Regional Coordinator, Human Rights Defenders Alert India
43. Dr K. Babu Rao, Human Rights Forum, Hyderabad
44. Sukla Sen, Peace Activist, Mumbai
45. Subhash Gatade, New Socialist Initiative
46. Siddharth, Independent Researcher, Bengaluru
47. Jayaseelan Raj, Assistant Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
48. Maya K.S, Writer, PhD Research Scholar, Christ College, University of Calicut, Kerala
49. Prameela, Assistant Professor, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sree Sankaracharya University, Kerala
50. Jentle Varghese, Guest Lecturer, Government College, Kottayam, Kerala
51. Chandran Komath, Assistant Professor, Government College, Kottayam, Kerala
