A DEPUTATION consisting of three members of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch – Nathu Prasad, Surinder and Subhashini Ali (ex MP) met the National Human Rights Commission chairperson and gave him a memorandum on the brutal attack on dalit families in Shabbirpur village in Uttar Pradesh on May 5.  Members of the DSMM have been visiting the village and also the injured in the district hospital several times since May 9. 

The memorandum gave a detailed account of the incident and the background to it. It pointed out that the Shabbirpur victims have received neither compensation nor any assurances.  On the contrary, relief material that was being brought to the village was stopped by the administration.  Also, false cases have been registered against them and dozens are said to have been arrested.

The delegation pointed out that since the formation of the new government in the state, people belonging to the ruling party and groups supporting them have become very aggressive and have been violently attacking others with impunity.  In Shabbirpur too, the perpetrators of violence were sporting saffron headbands and shawls and they were raising provocative slogans.

The delegation requested the chairperson to ask the state government of UP and the district administration of Saharanpur as to why the attacks on dalits took place despite the fact that the village pradhan made repeated efforts to inform the administration of the threat posed by Thakur aggression and in view of the fact that after April 14, the atmosphere in the village was tense; to ensure that all false cases are withdrawn and innocent dalits released and to proceed against the real culprits; to fairly compensate those who have suffered grievous hurt and great economic losses; the government of UP must be given instructions that no group or organization be allowed to take the law in its hands and perform vigilante attacks.  If they do not desist, they must be given salutary punishment and the government of UP must be instructed to pay special attention to the safety and security of dalits, women and other weaker sections.