Press Release
Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace Condemns Drastically Act of Gang Rape and Murders of Buddhist in Kharlanji Village.
ACJP strongly condemns dastardly, heinous and inhuman crime of upper castes of Kharlanji Village in Bhandara District of Maharashtra where four members of a family were pulled out of home, striped naked, caste abused, humiliated and paraded naked in the village and forced two brothers for sexual intercourse with his sister and mother and then beaten and killed brutally on 29th Sept. 2006 evening at the time when the whole world was celebrating 50th year of Dharma Diksha at Nagpur and 2550th anniversary and enlightenment to Siddharth Gautam the Buddha.
Mr. Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, his wife Surekha two sons Roshan, Sudhir and 12th Std. daughter Priyanka were living peacefully in Khairlanji for two decades and were following ideology of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, Mahatma Joytiba Phule and Lord Buddha. They were a very religious family and believed in educational advancement and life of dignity in the village of 181 families, out of which only 3 were from Buddhist community, 12 families from tribal community and uppercaste kunbi and kalar community. The reason of the gang rape and brutal killing of the members of Mr. Bhootmange family was that they were the witness in one of the case of attack and beating of their relative Mr. Siddharth Gajbhiye from a nearby village by Hindu community on 3rd Sept. 2006 and subsequent arrest of attackers of Mr. Gajbhiye by the police. Bhootmange family members were the main witness in the incident. Police have remained a mute supporter and did not act to prevent the incident even after Mr.Bhaiyyalal, the head of family informed to the police when the crime was taking place. This shows the total callousness of Police Department towards Buddhist Community of Khairlanji Village. When the crime was taking place, there were several families from tribal and OBC communities in the village but none made any effort to prevent the incidence or inform to the police which is the matter of condemnation. The bias of police of the local administration was so much that the police did not insist full postmortem of the death bodies and the bodies were buried immediately. It is only after the hue and cry by Buddhist organizations and associations that all the bodies were dug up and second postmortem was conducted. Several politically influential people are putting direct indirect pressure on police and administration of Mohadi Taluka and District officials so that nothing comes out and perpetrators are set free as is it happens in more than 35,000 atrocities cases annually which take place in the country.
Blood of the Buddhist and Ambedkarities is boiling. The fire is spreading from different corner. ACJP and sister organizations had taken this incident as a warning to all the Ambedkarites, Buddhist and SCs/STs. If such incidents are to be prevented in the future, the only solution for this is Separate Settlements of Buddhist, the Scheduled Caste and Tribals in every district as demanded by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The attack on Bhotmange family was not possible if they were in sufficient larger number in village. Because attackers knew that Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange and two others Buddhist families are in minorities and they cannot do anything against them. Therefore we demand to the government of India and Government of Maharashtra that a legislation be brought for separate settlement of Buddhist, SC,ST communities in every district and in all such separate settlements all facilities like Educational Institutions, Hospitals, Colleges, Schools, Cultural Centers, Industries etc. be started so that there will be no quarrel between SCs, STs and Upper castes and all such incidents of Caste violation, rape, Murder, looting, burning will come to an end. In the matter of Khairlanji incident, we demand as under;
1. All the attackers including police officials be immediately arrested, trial should be held in a special fast track court within maximum period of 90 days at district place at Bhandara .
2. All the witnesses be given full Police Protection.
3. All those responsible should be given capital punishment (should be hanged). Mr. Bhaiyyalal and Mr. Siddharth Gajbhije be immediately settled at Nagpur city area with minimum compensation of Rs. 50/- Lakhs and suitable employment in the Government department.
4. Whole village should be fined heavily for committing atrocity on Bhotmange family.
5. Separate settlements with all facilities ot Buddhist, SCs and STs in each Taluka/District in order to protect the life and liberty.
6. Buddhist and SCs/STs be given Self-Protection training at Government Expenditure along with licensed weapons for their safety and security.
7. Police and district administration should be trained and sensitized toward Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Constitutional rights of Buddhist, SCs/STs and steps be taken to educate masses to end high caste and low caste mentality as per CERD (Committee against Elimination of Racial Discrimination) recommendations-1996 to Government of India under United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Yours faithfully,
(N.K.Sonare)
National President