AIAWU Welcomes Verdict on Dalit Atrocities in Marakumbi
THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) has, in a statement issued on October 27, welcomed the recent judgment of the District Sessions Court of Koppal, which sentenced 98 people to life imprisonment for their involvement in a brutal attack on dalit residents in Marakumbi village, Gangavathi Taluk, Karnataka. The court's verdict, delivered on October 24, 2024, marks the culmination of a decade-long legal battle over caste-based violence.
The incident dates back to August 28, 2014, when a confrontation between upper-caste youth and dalit youth at a cinema hall in Gangavathi escalated into a violent attack. After the altercation, approximately 100 upper-caste people gathered and attacked the dalit colony in Marakumbi, setting six houses ablaze and assaulting several dalit men, women, and children, who sustained severe injuries and were hospitalised. A case was registered the following day against 117 people involved in the violence.
The legal battle spanned over ten years, during which the case drew attention for its implications on caste-based oppression in the region. One of the key witnesses in the case, AIAWU cadre Comrade Veereshappa, was murdered in July 2015, indicating the risks faced by those standing against caste violence.
In the aftermath of Veereshappa's murder, senior leaders of the CPI(M), including Polit Bureau member M A Baby, Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch convener K Radhakrishnan, and then CPI(M) state secretary G V Sriram Reddy, visited Marakumbi. They met with Veereshappa's family and other victims, and extended the support of AIAWU and CPI(M) in their struggle for justice.
The violence in Marakumbi occurred in a period of rising right-wing activity and growing caste polarisation in Karnataka, particularly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre. This political climate was a main contributing factor in the escalation of communal hatred and caste violence in this region of Karnataka.
AIAWU noted that this landmark is a victory for social justice. However, it is a sad reflection of society that casteism still prevails and therefore the battle against caste-based oppression continues.
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