New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) Days after a 17-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly killed in police firing in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday demanded action against the guilty while accusing the state government and the local administration of trying to cover up the issue.
A CPI(M) delegation, including politburo member Subhashini Ali, central committee member Vikram Singh, Moradabad district secretary Javed Khan and Shabbu Khan visited Silai Baragaon village in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district on March 4.
The Dalit boy was killed and two others were injured in a clash over the installation of a board with BR Ambedkar's photo in Rampur on February 28.
The police have said that the clash occurred between two groups when one faction was trying to install a board with the picture of Ambedkar and wanted to install his statue on the land.
Ali, who led the delegation that went to the village, said the land belonging to the Gram Sabha was converted into a park following a call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for cleanliness campaigns.
According to the information shared by the delegation, Ranjeet Kaur, the village pradhan, on January 21 supervised the cleaning up of an empty plot of land at the entrance of village which was being used as a garbage dump. After the cleaning, it was decided that the plot be converted into Dr Ambedkar Park.
"The entire village supported the move and a small brick platform was constructed in the middle of the empty plot and Dr Ambedkar's photograph was placed on it on February 10. Children accompanied by their mothers from the Dalit basti started playing in the park," Ali said.
"After more than a week passed, there was some talk that some people from the dominant OBC community had approached the administration and complained about the park. No one from the administration spoke to the Dalit villagers about this or went to the spot for an inspection," she said.
In a statement issued by the CPI(M), they said that at about 5 pm on February 27 when there were only women and children in the park, the SDM arrived with a police contingent and a bulldozer. The women surrounded the platform determined not to allow any disrespect to be shown to Ambedkar's photograph and were beaten with lathis and received injuries on their faces and limbs but they refused to budge.
"The SDM then ordered the police to fire. After a few bullets were fired, the women and children ran for their lives. Somesh Kumar, son of Shri Premchand, a Class X student died on the spot. Seeing this, the police and members of the administration moved away. One other Dalit youngster, Raispal, was seriously injured in the firing and taken to the hospital," the CPI(M) said.
Quoting villagers, they said that there has been no assurance from the government that the guilty will be punished or that the family will get compensation.
"Our delegation feels that what has happened is a case of extreme brutality and callousness on the part of the Rampur administration which is now trying to effect a 'cover up'. The SDM and one police officer have been transferred, which is not punishment," Ali said.
"We condemn this incident as being one which exposes the Manuvadi and oppressive face of the UP government. We demand that Somesh's family be paid 1 crore rupees in compensation, one member of his family be given a government job, the Ambedkar Park be constructed with a statue of Dr Ambedkar and a statue of Somesh Kumar," she said.
The CPI(M) leaders also pointed out that while the FIR filed by the revenue official filed on February 29, in which the son of the pradhan has been named, is in the public domain, the FIR filed by Somesh's father is not available on the police website.
"According to the press, he has accused the administration and police of being responsible for his son's death," she said.
They also said the revenue official claimed in the FIR that he received a complaint from someone in the village that the land was cleared so that it could be encroached and that Ambedkar's photo was placed in the night.
"On the 24th itself he disposed of the matter. He does not mention that anyone from the village was questioned or asked for an explanation and held that the Gram Sabha land had been illegally encroached. In continuation of this, the administration and police went to the spot on the 27th. It appears that many of the facts in this FIR are distortions," Ali added.
Somesh Kumar, who was killed in the firing, was a student of Class 0 who was returning home after giving his Class 10 examination.
The boy’s family have alleged that he was killed in police firing. A video of the incident surfaced on social media showing the police engaging in stone pelting and lathi-charge.