Young Dalit writer attacked in Davanagere

A young Dalit writer was attacked by a group of men for his writings against the caste system perceived to be “anti-Hindu” at Davanagere in Central Karnataka on Thursday. The attack comes barely three months after the shooting of writer M.M. Kalburgi – barely 100 km away – and at a time when numerous writers across the country have raised their voice against rising intolerance. According to a complaint filed by 23-year-old Huchangi Prasad, a journalism student at Davanagere University who had published a ‘controversial’ book a year ago, an unidentified man came to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe hostel at the university in the early hours, claiming that Mr. Prasad’s mother had been hospitalised following a heart attack. Apparently in “shock”, the student followed the man who promised to take him to the hospital. Midway, in an isolated corner of APMC Yard, a group of eight to ten people ambushed him. “They surrounded me and started to push me around. They said my writings were anti-Hindu as I talked about the caste system. They even put kumkum all over my face. They pulled out a knife and said they will cut my fingers off so I can never write again,” Mr. Prasad told The Hindu. He pushed his way through the group and ran into the nearby woods, where he hid. Hours later, when sure that the group had left, he fled to the hostel. He later filed the police complaint. Following the attack, police have registered a case against “unknown persons” under attempt to murder (IPC 307) and under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The student had published his first book in April 2014 and had since then faced threats. The book comprised prose and poetry revolving around treatment of Dalits in the country. Right wing ire At the book launch, Kannada writer K.S. Bhagwan — who has recently received threats — spoke inviting the ire of right-wing organisations who had filed a complaint for provocative speech at the local police station. Mr. Prasad had been threatened since then. The Hindu