RAJBIRAJ, OCTOBER 15

The Dalit community of Saptari staged a demonstration in the district headquarters Rajbiraj today protesting the increasing cases of violence and murder against their community members.

Hundreds of Dalit community leaders and members from even far-flung villages participated in the demonstration organised at the initiative of the Joint Dalit Struggle Committee, Saptari. Participants in the demonstration started a rally from the local Raj Stadium and took a round of the bazaar before returning to the same place and converging in a protest meeting.

The demonstrators also sought an end to the ongoing spate of murder, rape and other forms of violence and ongoing discrimination against the Dalit community.

Dalit leaders speaking at the meeting vented their ire against political parties and accused them of letting the community down by showing little concern about increasing crimes against them.

“The behaviour of political parties has proved once again that they consider us as mere vote banks whom they can easily turn their backs on. We will teach them a lesson the next time they come to us seeking vote,” vowed a Dalit leader, while speaking to the audience at the meeting.

Dalit leaders such as Bahujan Samaj Parishad Chair Harinandan Ranjan, Rajaram Paswan, Rajesh Bidrohi and Yuktilal Majhi spoke at the protest meeting held under the chairmanship of Joint Dalit Struggle Committee Saptari Chair Prathamlal Ram. Former lawmaker Asarfi Sada was the chief guest at the meeting.