Condemn Arrests and Brutal Beating of Comrade Arjun Lal in Sitapur
The CPIML Uttar Pradesh state unit has strongly condemned the vengeful arrest and brutal beating on 14 August at the Hargaon Thana of State Committee member and District in-charge Arjun Lal, who had gone to the Thana to register an FIR in connection with a case of oppression of dalits. The party has started a dharna led by State Committee member Anil Bharti at the Sitapur District HQ to demand immediate and unconditional release of Arjun Lal and other arrested activists.
State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said that Comrade Arjun, who is also a District Panchayat member elected from Hargaon, had gone to Hargaon with dalits from a neighbouring village to register an FIR in the matter of feudal-minded Thakurs beating up the dalits on the alleged charge of letting cattle graze crops in their fields. He said that the Hargaon SO made Arjun Lal the special target, abused and beat him. When AIPWA leader Comrade Sarojini along with others intervened in protest, they were also arrested. Comrade Sarojini and some others were released in the evening but Comrade Arjun Lal and others are still under arrest.
This incident occurred at a time when Comrade Arjun and other comrades were among the people making preparations for celebration of the 75th anniversary of Independence. The brutal police action on the eve of Independence Day plunged the local people into an atmosphere of terror.
Giving information about the background of the matter, Comrade Sudhakar said that some time ago Comrade Arjun had sat on dharna in front of Hargaon Thana in connection with registering an FIR, upon which the SO hurled casteist abuse at him and threatened him. Comrade Arjun Lal again protested with a dharna at the District HQ and demanded action against the SO under the SC/ST Act. The SO has been in search of vendetta since then.
The CPIML State Secretary demanded strict action against the SO and all other guilty police personnel and immediate release of all the activists. He said that a statewide movement will be organized unless they are released immediately. The party observed 16 August as Anti-Police-Repression-Day across the state.
Anti-Police Repression Protest Day Observed in Uttar Pradesh
CPIML observed 16 August as statewide protest day in Uttar Pradesh against the lethal attack by dominant caste sections on dalits in Hargaon on the eve of Independence Day and the arrest and slapping of false cases on 9 party activists including District Secretary Arjun Lal. The party demanded immediate and unconditional release of their activists, scrapping of the false FIR (465/22), arrest of the perpetrators of the attack on dalits, a high level enquiry into the false narrative created by the police and suspension of the Hargaon SO.
Protest were organized at District HQs and memorandums sent to the Governor via the District officials. State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said that large numbers of people protested in front of the Sitapur district headquarters against the police action. The protest in Sitapur has been on since the evening of 14 August, led by Comrades Ramesh Sengar and Sarojini. Protests were also organized at Ballia, Devaria, Gorakhpur, Basti, Mhow, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Banaras, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Jalaun, Mathura, Pilibhit and other Districts.
Details of Sitapur Incident
On the eve of Independence Day 14 August 2022 dominant upper caste persons attacked and beat up dalits of Rikhipurwa village, Hargaon Thana, Sitapur District. The victim dalits went to Hargaon Thana to register an FIR.
On getting information of the incident, CPIML Sitapur District Secretary and state committee member Arjun Lal (who is a resident of the above-said village, comes from a dalit background and is a sitting District Panchayat member from the Hargaon seat) went to the Thana on his motorcycle along with his son. He had just parked his bike in front of the Thana when the a few police personnel sent by the Thana SO came out and dragged him inside the Thana, abused him and shut him inside the lock-up. Some of the persons from the dalit side who had come to register the FIR were also taken into custody. This took place in the afternoon.
It is noteworthy that in the 1st week of the previous month (July) Comrade Arjun sat on dharna near Hargaon Thana against one-sided police action in another case and to demand justice, upon which the current Thana SO hurled casteist abuse at him and threatened him. Against this abuse also, Arjun Lal sat on dharna at the District HQ and demanded action against the SO under the SC/ST Act. From then on the SO had been looking for an opportunity for vendetta.
A few hours after the police brutality on 14 August, AIPWA District President Comrade Sarojini led a peaceful protest in Hargaon, upon which the police resorted to lathi charge, snatched away the Tricolour from the AIPWA leader's hands and threw it on the ground, insulted the National Flag, behaved badly with the woman leader, dragged her through the streets to the Thana, arrested her and released her in the evening. However, Comrade Arjun and other arrested activists were not released. These actions of the police created an atmosphere of terror among the local people on the eve of Independence Day.
Moreover, the Hargaon police have created a false narrative to justify their repressive actions and have registered an FIR (465/22) with 23 persons as the accused, including Comrades Arjun Lal and Sarojini. 8 Sections of IPC including 7-Criminal Law Amendment have been slapped against them. The police have also fabricated another falsehood. Comrade Arjun, a few CPIML activists and other villagers have been locked up inside Hargaon Thana since 14-8-2022 but in a press note issued on 15-8-2022 the police have said that they were arrested near the Jehangirabad pulia (culvert) at 6.50 AM on 15-8-2022. This is an absolute lie.
Finally, the police have sent 9 people including Comrade Arjun to jail. On the other hand, none of the upper caster goons who attacked the dalits have been arrested, despite there being a registered FIR naming them as the accused (462/22). This clearly shows the current government's bias.
CPIML held statewide anti-police repression protest on 16 August, and sent an e-mail to the Uttar Pradesh Home Minister demanding action. A dharna has been going on indefinitely since the evening of 14 August at Sitapur District HQ. On 16 August party units sent a memorandum to Governor
Anandi Ben Patel with the following demands:
1. CPIML leader Arjul Lal and all others jailed should be released immediately and unconditionally and the false FIR (465/22, Thana Hargaon, District Sitapur) registered against them should be scrapped.
2. Hargaon police have created a false narrative, therefore an impartial high level enquiry should be held into the entire incident and strict action should be taken against the guilty police personnel.
3. The Hargaon Thana SO, who threatened Arjun Lal, created a false narrative and misbehaved with him and a woman leader, should be suspended with immediate effect. Other police personnel implicated in the incident should also be removed immediately from their posts.
4. End oppression of dalits and protection of dominant caste sections. Arrest the perpetrators of dalit oppression (FIR 462/22) and ensure justice to the victims.
5. The above case of dalit oppression has occurred on the 75th anniversary of Independence under the watch of SP GS Chandrabhan, despite which it is shameful that he has been nominated for the DGP platinum medal award on Independence Day. We demand that this medal be taken back from the Sitapur SP.
