Tension in Karnataka village as SC man enters area occupied by STs

Tension erupted in a village in Karnataka after a man from the SC community entered a settlement occupied by ST members, leading to the closure of two temples.

Bengaluru: Tension broke out at a village in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district after a man from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community entered a settlement occupied by members of the Scheduled Tribe (ST), leading village authorities to shut two temples for three days.

The alleged assault took place on Monday when Maruthi, a JCB operator, entered a settlement occupied by the Golla community (known as Gollarahatti) in Gerumaradi village in Tarikere taluk

According to people aware of the matter, one person from the Golla community (ST) was arrested and 15 others were booked under The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for allegedly assaulting 34-year-old Maruthi, who belongs to the Madiga community (ST).

The alleged assault took place on Monday when Maruthi, a JCB operator, entered a settlement occupied by the Golla community (known as Gollarahatti) in Gerumaradi village in Tarikere taluk.

“We have warned the villagers and told them that no one should be looked down upon,” Tarikere taluk social welfare officer B Yogesh told HT.

According to Maruthi, on January 1, he had entered the settlement to demolish an old house. He said a dish cable was damaged in the process, triggering sharp reactions from the villagers, who also dragged him out of the JCB and assaulted him on learning that he belonged to the Madiga community.

Following the incident, SC members continued to visit the settlement as a mark of protest, prompting authorities to shut two temples in the area.