Almost 30 Dalit families fled the village after houses belonging to the community were torched and are now camping at the district headquarters at Hisar
"I will rather die than return to the village," murmurs Kamla Devi, still in shock after her husband and physically challenged daughter were burnt alive in caste violence here on April 21.
Devi, 45, along with her two sons, who are pursuing graduation, have been camping at the district headquarters at Hisar, about 60 km from here, along with nearly 30 dalit families which fled the village after houses belonging to the community were torched.
The affected families have been demanding rehabilitation outside Mirchpur.
Devi's polio-stricken daughter Suman and her aged husband were trapped inside their burning house when about 18 dwellings were set ablaze allegedly by members of the dominant community over old enmity.
"I have lost everything. No one can compensate my loss," says the distraught woman about the monetary relief announced by the Haryana Government to her family.
She wants the guilty to be punished. "They should be given death penalty," she says.
BSP general secretary Man Singh Manhera said that the government's assurance to the affected families, who have fled
the village, that they will be provided adequate security had
not been backed by any concrete steps.
"Assurances are merely on paper, but on the ground there is fear psychosis among the dalit families who have been left shaken by the gruesome incident. The burnt houses will tell you the entire story," he said.
Krishna Duggal, President of Akhil Bhartiya Dhanak Samaj, a dalit organisation, said that the administration was merely providing lip service. No help was being provided to the affected families, he claimed.
"All the 35-40 dalit families from Mirchpur have been camping at Hisar in a temporary shelter after the incident. No one has cared to come to them and listen to their problems. In this sizzling heat, they are surviving on the food and water being provided by the dalit organisations and some good samaritan," Duggal said.
"Where were these authorities when the houses of dalits were being burnt? Even after the incident, they are doing nothing to help the victims," she said.
On Thursday, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi made a surprise visit to Mirchpur and met the affected families. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also shot off a letter to chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda telling him it was a "matter of shame" and that such incidents cannot be allowed to happen.
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