Family accuses Lingayat village leaders of ostracism
A Vokkaliga family from Yelandur taluk, Chamarajanagara district, has alleged social ostracism by their own community after they rented a house to a Scheduled Caste (SC) family
A Vokkaliga family from Yelandur taluk, Chamarajanagara district, has alleged social ostracism by their own community after they rented a house to a Scheduled Caste (SC) family, police said on Sunday.
The complainant, BN Suresh, a resident of the Lingayat colony in Agara village, filed on December 21 stated that he had rented his house to an SC family about 10 months ago. “In retaliation, influential members of the dominant Lingayat community, three months ago, reportedly imposed a social boycott on Suresh and his family. We have been excluded from religious gatherings and denied access to local temples,” he said.
He further said: “We are mentally and physically harassed. Living in the village has become unbearable. We have tried to get help from the authorities, but there has been no relief. We demand an FIR to be registered against those responsible for the boycott.”
However, officials rejected Suresh’s claims. Yelandur tahsildar B Jaya Prakash told Hindustan Times, “I, along with social welfare officers and the police, visited the village on Saturday to investigate the matter. During our inquiry, Suresh’s father, Veeranna, stated that the family is not facing any discrimination. Leaders of the Lingayat community also denied of having imposed any boycott, attributing Suresh’s allegations to an old rivalry.”
The tahsildar further said:, “We convened a meeting with community leaders and found no evidence to support the claims. However, if subsequent investigations reveal any truth to the allegations, appropriate action will be taken.”