Christian body fights for justice of young Dalit girl

A civil society delegation along with a victim and her father met the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) yesterday to submit a memorandum in the case of a six-year-old Dalit girl who was thrown into a fire by an upper caste man in April 2008.

Following the meeting, the NCSC ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to appeal in the High Court against a lower session court judgment which acquitted the accused without a fair trial. The NCSC also ordered police protection for the victim besides medical treatment, and education.

Kamlesh, the Dalit girl who is now nine years old, was going to use a toilet in an open field along with her eight-month pregnant mother on April 29, 2008 in Trauali Jhanauti Village, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh. When they crossed a road in front of an upper caste Thakur home, the Thakur's son Sunny (18 years old) beat Kamlesh and threw her into a burning pit. Her mother, Manju, tried to pull her out of the fire; she, too, was beaten by several men and fell unconscious. When she came to her senses, she rescued her daughter who suffered 80% burns.

A fact finding team led by All India Christian Council (aicc) visited and took up the matter with authorities. A case was registered under section 307 of Indian Penal Code and SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act. Mr. Sunny was arrested for six months. Kamlesh's mother, Manju, who suffered trauma from the attack, was labeled by the court as mentally unfit to testify without any medical proof. The court acquitted the perpetrators without a fair trial.

Together with Dalit Freedom Network USA, the aicc worked with the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations to give a small amount of finances for medical care immediately after the attack and is committed to long-term advocacy and follow-up of this case. A civil society fact finding team revisited Kamlesh in December 2010 and found her health condition was critical, her right elbow crippled with skin pulling apart, and immediate medical attention needed for other burns as well. The team was led by Dr. John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council and aicc secretary general, and included Mr. Madhu Chandra, aicc Public Relations Officer; Vidya Bushan Rawat, social activist; and Anil Chamadia, Senior Journalist.

Yesterday a civil society delegation along with Kamlesh and her father met Dr. P.L. Punia, Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. The delegation included Dr. John Dayal, Madhu Chandra, Sarita Bhoi, National Convenor, Dalit Justice Initiative of Human Rights Law Network, and Mr. H.S. Mehra, Advocate.