Dalit community in Hassan forced to bury the dead in their own backyard

More than 25 Dalit households all encompassing of more than 120 Dalit community members residents of the Shambunathpura village in the Arakalagoodu taluk of the Hassan are faced with a very unique predicament of not having a place to bury the dead from their community by virtue of there not being any public graveyard adjoining to their village. The residents of this village do not have any land holdings for burial apart from their home. This has been brought to the notice of authorities but this has not given respite to the residents of the region.

 Under dire circumstances, family members of Giddayya who died on the night of 21st July began digging up their own backyard to lay the deceased to rest. Videos of this incident resurfaced on the social media platform, Twitter sparking outrage. 

ಹಿಂದುಳಿದ ದಲಿತ ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳಿಗೆ ಬದುಕುವ ಹಕ್ಕು ಕಲ್ಪಿಸೋಕೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಎಷ್ಟು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಬದಲಾಗಬೇಕ.? @CMofKarnataka
ಹಾಸನದ ಅರಕಲಗೂಡು ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ಶಂಭುನಾಥಪುರ ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಣ ಹೂಳೋಕೆ ಒಂದು ಸ್ಮಶಾನ ಇಲ್ಲವೆಂದರೆ ಇದಾವ ಸಮಾನತೆ.?
ಸ್ವಂತ ಮನೆ ಉಳ್ಳವರು ಮನೆ ಮುಂದೆಯೇ ಹೂಳುತ್ತಾರೆ,ಇಲ್ಲದವರು?#ಅಹಿಂದ ನಾಯಕರೇ @siddaramaiah ನಿಮ್ಮ ಗಮನಕ್ಕೆ. pic.twitter.com/nOAyYnFv4Z

— ಚೇತನ್ ಸೂರ್ಯ ಎಸ್ - Chethan Surya S (@Chethan_Surya_S) July 23, 2023

The Social Welfare and Tribal Department of the Government of Karnataka took note of the situation and promised that the due course of action would be taken with regard to this situation. It attached the official response from the Office of the Tahsildar and Taluk Magistrate, Arkalgud Taluk. In this the Tahsildar has mentioned that alternate arrangements were made in the Arakalagudi village close to the Shambunathapura village for the burial of Giddayya around which the whole commotion had taken place. He further reinforced that no untoward incident occurred as a result of this problem and that a state of peace prevailed in the region. 

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ,

ನಿಮ್ಮ ದೂರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಾಗಿ, ಶಂಭುನಾಥಪುರ ಗ್ರಾಮ ಕಸಬಾ ಹೋಬಳಿ ಅರಕಲಗೂಡು ತಾಲೂಕ ಹಾಸನ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ
ಸಹಾಯಕ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕರು ಸಮಾಜ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಇಲಾಖೆ ನೀಡಿರುವ ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ಲಗತ್ತಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ವಂದನೆಗಳು. #KarnatakaSWDpic.twitter.com/IRMTXvEJ1A

— ಸಮಾಜ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಇಲಾಖೆ (@SWDGoK) July 23, 2023