Telangana High Court comes to rescue of Madiga family facing social boycott for not following traditional occupation

Court orders District Superintendent of Police to provide police protection to petitioner and directs District Collector to take steps to provide relief and rehabilitation to the Dalit’s family

Telangana High Court came to the rescue of a Scheduled Caste (Madiga) family, who was facing social boycott by some of his villagers for rejecting their ‘direction’ to continuing his family’s traditional occupation of playing ‘dappu’ (drum) during ceremonies in the village.

Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the High Court directed Medak Superintendent of Police to immediately provide police protection to petitioner P. Chandram, a resident of Gowthojigudem village of Manoharabad mandal in Medak district, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The judge also instructed the District Collector to take steps to provide relief and rehabilitation to the Dalit’s family ostracised by the villagers.

Senior counsel V. Raghunath, appearing for petitioner’s advocate V. Sanajana, told the court that the 33-year-old petitioner, a post-graduate in commerce from Osmania University, had shifted to city to take up a private job. For past few months, the villagers had been bringing pressure on him to continue his family’s traditional occupation of drum beating and quit the job.

On September 10, the villagers summoned him to a Gram Sabha and directed him to quit his private job in the city and continue his family’s traditional profession of drum beating. When he refused to yield, the villagers passed a resolution to socially boycott the petitioner and his family.

“So pathetic was the situation that Chandram could not secure even milk for his five-year-old daughter,” Mr. Raghunath said.

When the petitioner’s daughter boarded the school bus, other students would not speak with her fearing action by villagers, he explained. The Dalit lodged a complaint with Manoharabad police who issued a First Information Report.

However, nothing happened beyond registering a criminal case. While continuing the social boycott, the villagers resolved that Chandram’s family should return the ‘Inam land’ to the village panchayat. They announced that anyone violating the social boycott would be imposed a fine of ₹5,000 and would be awarded punishment of 25 ‘cheppu debbalu’ (beating with footwear).

Mr. Chandram said in his petition that police authorities did not take any serious action barring a single visit to the village. Following issuance of the FIR, the villagers reportedly started threatening the petitioner with dire consequences if he failed to withdraw the complaint. The petitioner met the police again on September 17 to explain about the threats. All that the police officers told him was that the accused were being counselled.

Published - September 21, 2024 08:35 pm IST