Dalit activists burn Manu Smruti copies

Amalapuram/Eluru: Activists of Dalit groups burnt Manu Smruti as part of a protest programme on Monday. In Amalapuram, activists under the leadership of Jana Chaitanya Mandali burnt the copies of the ancient code at Clock Tower junction here on Monday. Earlier, Dalit leaders took out a procession in the town from road-bridge at Edarapalli to the Clock Tower.

Later, addressing a meeting, presided by mandali president Peyyala Pavana Prasad, Dalit leaders said that though the Indian Statute replaced the Manu Dharma Sastra, its shadow is dogging the people and quoted the example of insult meted out to Dalits at Garagaparru to drive their point home.

Dr BR Ambedkar consigned Manu Smriti, which never treated people equally, to flames on December 25, 1927. The Dalit leaders are re-enacting the episode. In Eluru, Buddha Society of India (BSI), All India Dalit Rights Federation (AIDRF) and BSP burnt the Manu Smriti copies at Old bus stand centre.

The activists took out a rally to old bus stand and garlanded the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar. Later, they burnt the copies of Manu Smriti. BSP leader R Mani Singh said that the Manu Dharma was the reason behind the attacks on SCs and STs in the society even after 70 years of freedom.