Dalit man assaulted with burning stick for entering temple in Uttarkashi

assaulted with burning stick
Image Courtesy: nationalheraldindia.com

One more violent attack on a Dalit man to prevent him ebtering a temple has been reported from the Uttarkashi district of Uttarkhand illustrating how temple entry remains a source of bitter exclusion for Dalits. A man was allegedly assaulted by a group of people and singed with burning sticks when he entered a temple to offer prayers at Salra village in the Mori area of Uttarkashi district, police have stated, according to PTI..

The incident took place four days ago, on January 9 when 22-year-old Ayush, a resident of Bainol village, visited the temple, they said.According to the victim’s complaint to the police, some people belonging to the upper caste assaulted him at the temple, tied him up and singed him with burning sticks throughout the night. Ayush was then rushed to the primary health centre on January 10 from where he was referred to another health facility for better treatment, officials said.

In his complaint to the police, Ayush clearly stated that the attackers were angry as he entered the temple despite being a Dalit. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under the SC/ST Act against five villagers, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi said, adding Circle Officer (Operation) Prashant Kumar has been assigned the job of investigating the matter