This story is from September 19, 2014

Huts of Kalbeliya families torched after ration card demand

Huts of three Kalbeliya families were torched just because they allegedly asked for ration cards from the village panchayat to get use it as identity cards to admit their children in government schools.
Huts of Kalbeliya families torched after ration card demand
AJMER: Huts of three Kalbeliya families were torched just because they allegedly asked for ration cards from the village panchayat to get use it as identity cards to admit their children in government schools. No accused has been arrested and the victims alleged that police are now pressuring for a compromise.
The incident happened at the border of Jorawarpura and Kelu village of Masuda block in the district.
These families, living in the barren land since the last 15 years and have neither voting rights as they do not have their names in electoral list nor they have any identity cards.
Deputy SP (Beawer) Ghan Shyam Sharma deployed a heavy police force at the spot and initiated investigation into the matter. The district administration provided 30 kg of wheat to the victims. The villagers had been disallowing milk and other products to the Kalbeliya families.
About 15 members of Kalbeliya (nomadic tribe) settled on the barren land which was about 4 km from the remote village of Jorawarpura. "We are here since the last 15 years and made kaccha houses to live. Earlier, we were in one of the villages of Beawer block but the villagers objected to our stay," said Amarnath, head of one of the families.
There was no dispute of these families with any of the villager nearby earlier and the Kalbeliyas were surviving by collecting leaves and vegetables from the jungles. Another member, Kailash Nath, said they have no identity nor ration cards and they do not know to take benefit schemes meant for them. "We never even vote during any of the elections as our names are not in any list," added Bhanwar Lal, another member. For the administration, these families are no way citizens of India.

The problem started when these families asked the gram panchayat of Jorawarpura to make ration cards for them so that they could send their children to school and get scholarships, including other benefits. Heads of these families had applied to the panchayat in writing and also went to SDO office in Beawer but without any results.
These kalbaliya families registered their protest in the panchayat and on Monday night their huts were torched by about one hundred people of the village. "When I saw the people coming toward us, I took my two-year-old son and hide in the bushes all night to save myself and the child," said Kanata, a victim. Samants of the village allegedly threatened the families of dire consequences if they were found in morning.
After the incident, the district administration deployed a heavy police force at the spot. Additional collector Gajendra Singh also reached the spot and directed to provide security to the families. "We also rushed to the spot and found that these families had nothing to eat. The administration provided 30kg of wheat but the children were demanding milk as the villagers had banned any supply to them," said Ramesh Bansal, coordinator of the Dalit Adhikar Kendra. He further said women of these families do not have proper clothes and are depressed by threats of the villagers.
Meanwhile, the families refused to leave the place. "Where we will go? We have no other place to settle down. I told police that we are ready to die here," Kailash Nath said. He added that their only mistake is their demanded for ration cards from the panchayat so that their children could go to school.
Three days after the incident, police personnel are still deployed in the area and officials identified some youths of the village as mischief mongers and are keeping a vigilance on them. "Our first duty is to provide security to them and the second to arrest accused in this matter," a policeman said.
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