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Hate Watch Agra: “Upper caste” Hindus assault Dalit groom for riding a mare

sabrang — Thu, 11 May 2023 10:44:00 +0000

On Wednesday, a Dalit man was set to marry his bride in Agra when on the way he was assaulted by some “upper caste” Hindus in Sohalla Jatav Basti. He was forced to get off the mare as stated in a complaint filed by his mother-in-law Geeta Jatav. The Agra Sadar Bazar police station has booked 25 persons; however, no arrests have been made yet.

As per the complaint when the wedding procession was passing through the area, 20-25 “upper caste” men came armed with iron rods, forced the groom to get off the mare and thrashed him. “Dalit grooms do not go to their marriage on a mare in our village, how dare you?” they said.

Moreover, when other Dalits came forward to help the groom, they were also beaten, and the culprits even molested some Dalit women. Further, they cut the power supply to Radha Krishna Marriage Hall, where the marriage was to take place. Yogesh Thakur, Rahul Kumar, Sonu Thakur, Kunal and Shishupal have been booked along with 20 unidentified men under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, reported The Indian Express.

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60 cops, a Dalit man on horseback in his wedding procession and a happy bride

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 12:40:57 +0000

Image: The Times of India

In a rather pleasantly surprising incident, a Dalit man rode a horse for his wedding procession under heavy police protection in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal village. The bride Ravina wanted to see her groom ride a horse on her big day and her wish was fulfilled by 44 constables, 14 sub-inspectors, one inspector and a circle officer. Such heavy protection was deemed necessary as restrictions were imposed by the upper caste of Lohamai village in Gunnar area.

The bride’s uncle made a written request to SP, Sambhal Chakresh Mishra who then sent the police force to ensure that the wedding festivities take place without any disturbance and trouble from the upper castes. Moreover, the cops contributed and gifted the couple Rs. 11,000 in cash. The bride’s family was grateful for the support provided for the police. This incident comes as a breath of fresh amidst the constant news of hatred that keeps coming up. Certainly, the fact that such protection was required merely for riding a horse and playing DJ music for the ‘baraat’ which is how a usual wedding procession takes place in many parts of the country, is unfortunate and disheartening. The imposition of such a restriction by the upper castes is itself a depiction of hatred and what the cops did was a show of support from the State and a demonstration of how the State can safeguard the rights of such communities when need arises.

Interestingly, this year has seen other similar incidents where cops have stepped up to protect Dalit families. In January, nearly 100 cops stood guard as a Dalit groom rode a horse in Sarsi village of Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district. In another instance in the same state, a constable in Chhattarpur district who was to get married on February 9 was stopped from riding the horse by upper caste men and they even stopped the wedding band chased the DJ away.

In Rajasthan’s Chadi village, Bundi district, Shriram Meghwal married his bride, in January this year, as he rode on a horse for the wedding procession. All this, under the initiative of the Bundi police and district administration under ‘Operation Samanta’ (Operation Equality). Meghwal said he was the first dalit in the village to ride a mare at a wedding. Another wedding that took place under this initiative was of one Manoj Bairwa in Neem ka Kheda village when he rode a mare and this happened more than three decades after Bairwa’s uncle was thrashed in the same village by upper caste men as he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community and dared to ride a horse on his wedding day, reported New Indian Express.

Even an IPS officer was not spared from the vicious caste prejudice as he was about to be married in February this year. He hailed from Bhagatpura Jaisinghpura village under Bhabru police station in Jaipur, Rajasthan and IPS officer Sunil Kumar Dhanwanta rode the horse amid heavy police protection keeping view several incidents in the past where Dalit grooms were targeted for riding a horse, reported Times Now.

Such an initiative is a welcome move, and more and more districts need to adopt the same to avoid incidents of violence resulting from upper castes preventing Dalits from leading normal lives. As such attacks are invariably reported from various parts of the country, districts in northern states which have had a history of such incidents need to introspect and take such initiatives in public interest and in the interest of social harmony as also to safeguard rights of the Dalit community.

IN January, a Dalit groom on horseback was attacked by upper castes in Madhya Pradesh’s Ganiyari, a village dominated by upper caste Lodhi Thakur community. The following month, the house of a Dalit was attacked by members of Gujjar community in Kachnariya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district after he announced that he will take out his marriage procession riding a horse and have a DJ play at hi wedding, reported Indian Express.

In May, a Dalit wedding was disrupted by upper caste men in Piplaya Kala village, Rajgarh district, MP. Five persons were arrested, and the wedding procession then took place amid police security as the groom rode the mare. In February, stones were pelted at a Dalit wedding procession as the groom rode a horse in Mota village of Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.

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Dalit weddings still face obstacles in Gujarat

Mon, 13 May 2019 08:23:47 +0000

In Khambisar village in Gujarat’s Aravalli district, members of the Patidar community organised bhajan and yagna on the main road to stall a Dalit wedding procession. Another Dalit bridegroom had to be provided police cover after members of the Thakor community objected to him offering prayers at a local temple.

Ahmedabad: In Khambisar village in Gujarat’s Aravalli district, members of the Patidar community organised bhajan and yagna on the main road to stall a Dalit wedding procession, the groom’s family alleged.

The procession was delayed despite police presence as the Patidar community members refused to leave and it was reported that the two sides threw stones at each other.

“The incident occurred in the evening in Khambiasr village and officials said a posse of cops had been rushed to the spot to maintain peace. Several people and policemen were injured in the stone throwing. The wedding procession, which was held up for over five hours, could not proceed to the marriage venue due to the ruckus and family members of the groom blamed the police for the situation,” NDTV reported.

“Police have been deployed in large numbers. The situation is peaceful. The groom’s family has been provided protection and we will give them cover on Monday as well,” Gandhinagar Range Inspector General of Police Mayank Chavda said in the report.

The police official said members of both the communities had been called to sort out matters and bring about peace in the area.

One of the family members of the groom, however, alleged that they had sought protection, but the police failed in getting the procession to move forward.

“We got no police protection and were forced to come back. The members of Patidar community had blocked both the roads, making it impossible for us to move. We hope police give us protection on Monday so that the wedding ceremony passes off peacefully,” the family member said in the report.

Another wedding procession of a Dalit bridegroom had to be provided police cover on Sunday after members of the Thakor community objected to him offering prayers at a local temple at a village in the Sabarkantha district of Gujarat.

The procession, however, passed off peacefully, police said.

Anil Rathod’s family had sought police protection after elders of Sitvada village, belonging to the Thakor community, had objected on Saturday to the procession passing through the village and his plans to offer prayers at the temple, Bhikhabhai Vaniya, a villager said in a report.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Patel, “The family of the Anil Rathod submitted an application to the police seeking protection for the wedding procession. In their application, the Dalit members of the village had raised apprehension that members of another community might create trouble”.

“We offered police protection to the marriage procession and it passed off peacefully. The groom also visited the village temple before he left for a nearby village for the marriage ceremony,” the DSP said.

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UP village sees first ever Dalit Baraat in Thakur dominion

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 10:09:56 +0000

Jatav, a local worker with the Bahujan Samaj Party, drove from his village, about 20 kilometres away, in a convoy of 30 cars, a police pilot vehicle and an armed security guard.

Image: Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo

Varanasi: Sanjay Jatav underestimated the response to his plea to take his wedding procession through ‘upper caste’ Thakur dominated routes. The administration fortified the area around his bride’s village, deploying 10 police inspectors, 22 sub-inspectors, 35 head constables, 100 constables and a platoon of the state provincial armed constabulary.

A 27-year-old block development council member of Basai Babas village in Hathras district, Jatav became the first Dalit man to take a wedding procession through Nizampur village in 80 years. “I feel like a cabinet minister,” he exclaimed as the procession accompanied by music, dancing and revelry took momentum.

Wearing a blue suit, Jatav married his love Sheetal Kumari on Sunday. Matching him in his bravery, Kumari told the media why they were risking retribution in a village where Dalits are outnumbered 1:10. “We want our fair share of rights. India is a free country and the Constitution gives everyone equal rights,” she said.

“Jatav, a local worker with the Bahujan Samaj Party, drove from his village, about 20 kilometres away, in a convoy of 30 cars, a police pilot vehicle and an armed security guard. Outside the village, press, senior police and administration officers and political leaders cutting across party lines welcomed the groom,” reported Firstpost.

“Jatav had approached the district administration three months ago seeking permission to parade his baraat through the village, which was denied after the Thakur community objected but Jatav refused to back down, appealing to the district magistrate, the superintendent of police, the Allahabad high court and even the chief minister’s office,” a report by Hindustan Times said.

“This is the 21st Century but some don’t think Dalits should have dignity. I am the first to take a ‘baraat’ (wedding procession) out in this village. It is only because of Babasaheb and his Constitution that it has been possible,” Jatav told the media.

The Indian Express had reported in April that both parties had compromised upon a mutually acceptable route. “Both sides have signed the letter, which spells out the route the baraat is to take through the village — as Sanjay had wanted — also says “no political or apolitical party will be part of the baraat because of who peace can be broken/no persons in the baraat will carry weapons or arms or consume any alcoholic substances/no one will use any loud instruments or make objectionable speeches or words…all people will maintain peace when the wedding is on.”

“Despite the successful wedding, the fight for the Dalit families may not have ended as hostilities continue to simmer. “Not one Thakur in the village will attend this wedding,” said Rupender Chauhan, a village resident. “Repercussions will follow, if not in two days then in two years.” The HT report added.

Speaking to media on the occasion, District Magistrate of Kasganj RP Singh said, “We have made tight security arrangements and even if someone wants to create trouble, it wouldn’t be possible for them to do that.”

Dalits form around a fifth of Uttar Pradesh’ population and Jatavs are the largest Dalit group. The Thakurs make up 70 per cent of Nizampur’s population while the Dalits account for only 10 per cent and live on the periphery of the village.

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