M’lore: Dalits Create Ruckus for Lack of Time Sense, Boycott Taluk Level Meeting
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS/VA)
Mangalore, Aug 24: The dalits created uproar at the Mangalore taluk panchayath meeting hall for not beginning the meeting on the said time on Wednesday August 24.
The meeting was scheduled to be held at at 10.30 am to discuss the progress of grants allotted to SC and ST, however the meeting did not start even till 11.45 am.
Furious at this sluggish attitude of the concerned, the dalits boycotting the meeting shouted slogans against Mangalore tahshildar and taluk social welfare officer in front of the Taluk Panchayath office.
As per the Government record the time was mentioned as 10.30am. But dalits were informed the timing as 11 am and accordingly they came to the meeting at 11 am. But president of the committee and vice president did not turn up. Social welfare officer Reddy said that tahshildar will arrive in 10 minutes and the meeting can be started. They waited till 11.45am and the tahshildar did not turn up.
The Dalits lamented that if the meeting was started late they would not be able to put forth all their grievances. The meeting is convened once in three months, yet the officers show negligible attitude. Later though tahshildar arrived did not speak to dalits, instead straightaway went inside the meeting hall. However the dalits were sturdy in their decision and told they do not want to take part in the meeting.
Justifying himself later, the tahshildar Ravichandra Nayak said that as per the direction given to him by the DC he had gone on another emergency duty. By the time he left from the work, it was late. He also apologized for the inconvenience but everything went in vein as hundreds of dalits returned home with their application and issues.