Nude parade victim says: There were 600, nobody helped me

bellary: "they (the criminals) said until i confess (the crime), i would not be given clothes and the parade would go on." sobbing uncontrollably, yerramma clung to social welfare minister kagodu thimmappa's feet asking him to protect her from goondas. the harijan woman was paraded naked on sunday at vanenur in bellary district by the valmikis, who are a majority.a gaggle of politicians including thimmappa, rural development and panchayat raj minister m. diwakar babu, zp chairman, congress party workers and police, visited the victim on tuesday night. ironically, the men who victimised the woman were celebrating their comeback from police custody. yerramma unfolded her sordid story in her small hut where a small lamp was lit to compensate the absence of electricity. "they dragged and pulled my hair. when my husband tried to help me, he was bashed up. even my daughter was half-stripped and threatened to be raped if she persisted." she said the criminals wanted her to `admit' that she had supported the love affair and engineered the elopement. saying at least 600 people watched the spectacle when she was tied to the flag-post, she cried: "nobody helped me. i wasn't even allowed to wrap around myself the lungi my husband flung at me. nanage badukalikke jeevanadalli enoo ulidilla (i've nothing in life to live with)." she told the ministers that she had been targeted by the valmikis. certain inebriated miscreants used to come and create a scene in front of her house, she added. later, thimmappa told reporters that yerramma and her daughter would be accommodated in a hostel for some days and security would be provided to all the harijan families. assuring a job for yerramma and rs 10,000 as relief from the zp, the minister promised houses to all the harijans, and cattle to help set up a milk dairy.