Dalits get back their share of water in UP village

A couple of days after The Indian Express, in its January 17 edition, highlighted the plight of Dalits in Samaisa village of Ambedkarnagar district, who were banned by upper caste members from using water from a government tubewell, they got access to the same on Monday.

After the story was published, the state Government swung into action and Sub District Magistrate B R Diwedi and Deputy Superintendent of Police Shiv Raj were sent to the village to restore water supply to the Dalits. This eastern district is the stronghold of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). All the five Ambedkarnagar legislators are from the BSP and three of them are cabinet ministers. It was also Mayawati’s constituency when she was Member of Parliament. Yet, the upper castes could impose a ban on Dalits, preventing them from drawing water from the government tubewell to irrigate their fields.

Manoj Mishra, a human right activist in Ambedkarnagar, who had highlighted the issue at various levels, said, “Our struggle got strengthened when The Indian Express supported our cause.” DSP Shivraj, who has been camping in the village for the last three days, said, “In future, the upper castes will refrain from acting like dictators.”

He added that the keys of the tubewell, which was in the possession of the upper castes for the last six months, have been handed over to the Dalits. SDM B R Diwedi said, “Along with restoring water supply to the Dalits, we are also restoring them their lands which were encroached by the upper castes.”