Sahitya Akademi has bowed to pressure – Dalit student assaulted for writing against caste system

Davanagere: On a day New Delhi witnessed a silent march by writers against the Sahitya Akademi’s silence over rising intolerance, prominent voices from Karnataka spoke out. Though the Akademi later condemned the attacks on rationalists, some writers felt its reaction was a result of extreme pressure.

A 23-year-old dalit writer from Davanagere was abducted and assaulted by unidentified men on Wednesday for criticizing the Hindu caste system. Hucchangi Prasad, a journalism student, was attacked by the group which threatened to cut off his fingers if he wrote again.

Earlier this year, Prasad had written a book, Odala Kichhu (The Pain Inside), on his experience as a bonded labourer.

The assault comes less than two months after rationalist MM Kalburgi was shot dead in Dharwad.

Prasad, a resident of Santhebennur in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district, dropped out of school to help his family by working as a bonded labourer. He’s the only child of his parents who are daily-wage workers. He resumed studies and is currently doing his final-year MA journalism course at Davanagere University .

On Wednesday night, a stranger went to the SC/ST hostel near Davanagere University and told Prasad that his mother had been admitted to hospital after a heart at tack. The stranger offered to take him on his bike to the hospital.

“He took me to a re mote place and started hitting me,” he said.

Soon 8-10 persons in their 20s came there and thrashed him.

He said, “They brandished a knife and threatened to chop off my fingers. They asked me how as a dalit and Hindu, I could criticize the Hindu caste system. Somehow, I managed to escape but in the melee my right palm was injured,” he said.

Source: The Times of India