Media Release
Udupi, Mar 23: The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) – Ambedkarite District committee held an emergency meeting in Udupi on Sunday.
Presiding over the meeting, District chief organiser Manjunath Giliyaru condemned the heinous act of tying a dalit woman to a tree and assaulting her in Malpe. He criticised politicians Pramod Madhwaraj and Raghupati Bhat for allegedly justifying the incident and accused them of provoking the Mogaveera community against Dalits for political gains.
He also alleged that their speeches were inciting hatred and issuing threats against the marginalised communities. Manjunath Giliyaru appreciated the police department for suo motu filing a case against Pramod Madhwaraj for his inflammatory speech.
Speaking at the meeting, state organisational coordinator Sundar Master stated that the DSS would not remain silent if dalit workers at the port faced harassment. He mentioned that there were already reports of the Lambani community being driven out of the port and threatened by Mogaveeras.
He urged the district administration and police department to take necessary action. He challenged those criticising DSS leaders by name in protests to participate in a public debate on any news channel, asserting that they were ready to counter them with facts. He emphasised that fighting against atrocities on the oppressed anywhere in the country was the fundamental duty of a progressive organisation like DSS.
Mysuru divisional organisational coordinator Shyamaraj Birthi highlighted that the Malpe port does not belong to any single community but is government property where everyone has the right to earn a livelihood.
He warned against feudalistic tendencies and hooliganism in Udupi, stating that such behaviour should be completely eradicated in a district known for its intellectual harmony. He commended Udupi superintendent of police Dr Arun Kumar for his prompt and appropriate action in the Malpe incident and assured that DSS would stand by the SP in this just fight.
The meeting was attended by district and taluk-level DSS leaders, including district organisational coordinators Shyamsundar Tekkatte, Rajendra Master Belle, Manjunath Naguru, Suresh Hakladi, Bhaskar Master, Sridhar Kunjibettu, Annappa Nakre, Raju Bettinamane, Manjunath Balkudru, Raghav Belle, Harishchandra Birthi, Shivaram Kapu, Kusuma Hangarakatte, Shivananda Birthi, Ramesh Maravante, Krishna, Suresh Barkur, Shivaraj Byndoor, and Ratnakar Kunjibettu.