The last Friday of Ramzan, passed under tense circumstances in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The tension, according to news reports, began after “a group of people reacted strongly to some questions raised by a section of media persons there regarding the Friday prayers.”

According to the Saharanpur police, additional forces were deployed in the communally sensitive town of UP. The Indian Express, quoted Senior Superintendent of Police (Saharanpur) Akash Tomar saying, “Adequate police and PAC personnel have been deployed in the affected region while patrolling has been intensified in the entire town as a precautionary measure. Trouble ensued when a group of people reacted strongly to some questions raised by a section of mediapersons there regarding the Friday prayers. We will seek an explanation from mediapersons after we identify them.”

District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar and Imam of Jama Masjid Mohammad Arshad Gaura pacified the youths and reportedly eased the situation. According to SSP Tomar, police have identified the youths and “action will be taken against them.” He also said the administration “will serve a notice to some of the media channels for spreading misinformation.” 

What led to the tension?

Police say there were some objectionable questions asked by media persons over “offering of namaz within the mosque”. Police claimed that the situation was brought under control quickly. According to Maulana Farid, the manager of Jama Masjid mosque in Saharanpur said they have urged people to maintain peace, reported IE. The Imam told the media that after the namaz was offered, some cameramen asked the youths certain questions, which angered them and they began shouting slogans.

Why is namaz being made an issue this year?

As mosques open across the country after two years of Covid-19 shut down, Eid 2022, is being eagerly looked forward to by Muslims. However, as the festival approached, communal forces have tried their best to create tention over various anti-Muslim ‘issues’. The tensions in some parts have been simmering over the last weekend of ramzan, in various ways.

In Srinagar, the district administration denied permission for Jumu’atul-Wida. According to the latest news reports, the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar has been requested to “schedule Eid prayers at 7 A.M in order to handle the situation efficiently” and to ensure public safety and security. 

State governments across the country have put preventive measures in place ahead of Eid which is expected to be celebrated on Tuesday May 3. According to a report in News18, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Madhya Pradesh have already “imposed restrictions and appealed for caution ahead of the festival.” 

Curfew in Khargone on Eid

According to news reports, a “24-hour curfew will be in force on Eid-al-Fitr and Akshaya Tritiya in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone”.  Khargone’s Additional Collector Sumer Singh Mujalda told the media that “ there will be no relaxation in curfew on May 2 and May 3” and that even marriage functions will not be allowed in the city on Akshaya Tritiya.  

No DJ Music in Pune mosques

According to the news reports, “Authorities of five mosques in Pune and some other senior Muslim community members here have decided to shun DJ music” during Eid celebration. Maulana Mohsin Raza, the Imam of the Bharatiya Anjuman Qadariya Mosque in Lohiya Nagar, told the media that a core committee of five mosques in the area “decided not to have DJ music during the Eid celebration.” He added that the money earmarked for this will be “used to provide aid to the needy and poor people in the area.”

Related:

72 percent of Mumbai’s mosque hold off on loudspeakers

Srinagar: Why has the government stopped Friday namaz in Jamia Masjid?

Khargone violence: Administration a mute spectator, says CPI-RJD investigating team

Ahmedabad: ‘Derogatory’ posts on WhatsApp land teacher in trouble

SC impact: No Dharm Sansad as peace prevails in Roorkee

Senior Indian Army officers offer Namaz in Kashmir, shut trolls down

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On June 21, a video of a Muslim man being lynched emerged. Turns out the man was lynched by a mob in western Uttar Pradesh four days ago. The video of the gory act shows people shouting and hitting Israr, the victim, with sticks as he lies covered with muck in a moribund state.

The incident allegedly took place on June 18 in Dehra village near Deoband town of Saharanpur district. Police have filed an FIR under various sections including murder and rioting naming a group of villagers. But the police have also held the deceased responsible for instigating the mob.

The family members of the deceased told police they witnessed Israr being beaten with sticks, iron rods and sharp objects “with the intention of murder.”

Mob Lynching in village Dehra, Saharanpur, UP. ( 18 June 2020).

A guy named Israr was killed by a mob in a village, according to victim’s brother, when he reached at spot, mob was calling Israr a terrorist and beating him with stick.

1/n pic.twitter.com/4tmS28TbyB

— Md Asif Khan‏‎‎‎‎‎‎ آصِف (@imMAK02) June 21, 2020

Reportedly, his brothers rushed to the spot after someone alerted them via a phone call at around 6 pm that their brother had been waylaid and was being beaten by a mob. They rushed to the spot to rescue him but when they pleaded before the mob to stop “they did not listen to us and kept hitting him.” Muntayaz recounts in the police complaint “My brother was kept tied with ropes.”

The police also reached after being informed. They escorted a bleeding Israr to a local hospital in Deoband where he succumbed to his injuries.

An (FIR No.- 0432) –criminal complaint –has been registered in a police station in Deoband under various sections including sections 302 (for murder), 147, 148, 149 (for rioting). The complaint names seven people – Bobby, Sunda, s/o Dharmveer; Dharmveer s/o Baldev; Rohit s/o Radheshyam; Rohit s/o Vinod; Nitin s/o Sumerchand; Johru s/o Nakli aka Chhotu; Sattu s/o Deepchand, Dharmendra, Ravi, Vijay.

The family told the media that the mob shouted the word “terrorist” while they were chasing and beating him. “They called him a terrorist even as we told them we live in a neighbouring village,” his brother said in a video interview to a local media outlet. “They accused us (Muslims) of spreading coronavirus,” he said.

There has been a renewed wave of violence against minorities in India including physical assaults, verbal abuse, open discrimination, and social ostracisation. They are being falsely accused of spreading coronavirus. This is the result of a vilification campaign systematically carried out by a large section of mainstream and social media against Tablighi Jamaat after their Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi emerged as one of the Coronavirus clusters.

A tweet posted in Hindi from the official handle of Saharanpur District police said Israr was “mentally ill” and used the word “abhiyukt” (Hindi for someone held guilty) for him. The tweet alleged Israr’s action instigated the mob to resort to the brutal act of lynching him. “He attacked one of the boys with a sickle in village Imaliya and took away his motorcycle. He also went to Dehra and injured a seven-year-old boy Vanshu by attacking with a sickle, the police said.

pic.twitter.com/nJ2yNNq5zj

— Saharanpur Police (@saharanpurpol) June 21, 2020

This recent incident in Saharanpur is an addition to a series of hate crimes in a systematic manner in recent years targeting ordinary Muslims.

Related:

Mob lynchings continue unabated despite Covid-19!
One killed, one injured critically by lynch mob in Jharkhand

The post Muslim man called “terrorist”, lynched in Saharanpur appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The post Elections 2019: Allegations of Police Lathi-charge in Muslim neighbourhoods, Booth Capturing in Saharanpur appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Defying attempts by the Uttar Pradesh State administration to hound the organisation, Bhim Army leader, Chandrashekhar, took the battle to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar today. Protesting against the recent caste disturbances in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, hundreds led by the Bhim Army, an organisation fighting for Dalit rights, gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Members of several Dalit groups gathered at the protest site on Sunday, despite being denied permission by the Delhi Police. More than 50,000 persons had gathered at the protest today.

https://www.facebook.com/Akhil1490/videos/1418120028249603/

Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar, has been contesting allegedly fabricated charges of the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly trying to instigate people. He  was present at the event. Gujarat youth Dalit leader Jignesh Mawani and former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar were among those who joined the protesters, it is reported.

Late on  Saturday, the Delhi Police denied permission to Dalit unions to hold a protest at the venue. “The capacity of Jantar Mantar is 5,000, and there are already several protests going on there… The permission for this demonstration has been denied,” BK Singh, DCP (New Delhi), had said. However, members of the Bhim Army announced that they will go ahead with the plan as their supporters had already reached Delhi and that more were on their way to the venue.

Photo Courtesy: Indian Express, Abhinav Saha

Chandrashekhar, founder of the Bhim Army, addressed the crowds at Jantar Mantar. Last Saturday, on May 13, Justice Sawant, Justice Suresh, Justice BG Kolse Patil and others had in a press statement cautioned against the sue of draconian laws like the National security Act (NSA) on members of the Bhim Army including Chandrashekar. On May 5, violence broke out in Saharanpur’s  Shabbirpur village after members of the Dalit community objected to loud music during a Thakur-led procession to mark the upcoming birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap. The Dalits claimed that the Thakurs did not get permission from the authorities to hold the event. In the clashes that followed, a Thakur man was killed. Later, around 2000 members from the Thakur community gheraoed the village and burned and ransacked 25 houses belonging to the Dalits. At least 15 people were injured in the violence.

Photo credit: Indian Express

Thousands of Dalit activists gathered at Jantar Mantar to protest against the recent caste disturbances in Uttar Pradesh. Weeks after the violent clashes, police arrested five members of the Bhim Army and booked Chandrashekhar.  Sadar Bazar police station SHO Piyush Dixit said a case was filed against Chandrashekhar on Thursday on the basis of an audio clip purportedly released by him.

The audio calls for a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on May 21 to protest against the “lax attitude” of police and administration in taking action against the violence on Dalits in Shabbirpur village on May 5. Dixit said that Chandrashekhar has been accused of staging protest against the administration and trying to create an atmosphere of violence by instigating people from different communities. Chandrashekar and other members of his organisation are also wanted for arson and violence at various places in Saharanpur on May 9. FIRs have been lodged against Bheem Sena activists Arun and Vikas Meshram.
 

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One of the reasons that instigated the Saharanpur riot was the arrogance of Thakurs to play their loudspeakers loudly near the Ravidas temple during a procession to celebrate Rana Pratap, the local warlord, whose contribution to community's welfare is unknown. However, the thakurs are looking for symbols to assert their pride. This is true all over India, the dominant caste try to assert through their ancestors' work. Sometimes, such an assertion leads to violence. The perpetrators of the crime were the Thakurs, the caste that Adityanath represents and mobilised militantly through Hindu Yuva Vahini. In the aftermath of the violence, over 400 members of the Bhim Army have been held in policy custody by the whimsical Thakur Adityanath. They are looking out for Chandrashekhar, the founder of Bhim Army.

While this tussle is going on, almost like a comic scene to create sympathy of the Ravidasis the President of the BJP, Amit Shah, went to Ravidas temple in RK Puram Delhi to listen to "Man Ki Baat" radio talk of his mentor/accomplice Modi. It has become interesting that the media flashed the images of Shah in the Ravidas temple. While this is happening, the Union Minister of Social Justice is claiming that the violence against the Dalits is reduced and that there are some elements which are creating the stories. These events have a common pattern which an average intelligent person can trace and find.

First, the Ravidasis have huge potential to mobilise. They had stalled Punjab a few years back when the saint from this community was shot dead in Vienna. The Ravidasi mobilisation in UP has a potential to mobilise the community. And with all of this, coupled with the force of Ambedkarism, the Ravidasi community can become a singular political bloc from Maharashtra to J &K, and from Gujarat to Odisha. That is why Ravidas matters, and that is why Shah listens to "Man Ki Baat" in the Ravidas Temple.

The Ravidasis have one single fault, they tend to become excessively spiritual, whereas Ravidas was a great revolutionary who wanted to dismantle the caste system. He used all the weapons in his arsenal to fight the monster of caste. His tradition was taken forward by Babasaheb Ambedkar, who not only celebrated his birth anniversary, but dedicated the Great book "Who were untouchables?" to Ravidas along with Nandanar and Chokamela. Babasaheb Ambedkar mobilised all the possible resources and institutions to kill caste.

We have to take the battle to the next level in the changing paradigm. We need to understand that the BJP tries to pose one of our ancestors against another. They extol Suheldev to attract one community among us, and the same ideal when they enter other communities. We should not enter into the politics of ideals, but find the common thread in all their missions, which was the liberation of their people from the clutches of the caste system and Brahmanism. These days Brahminical machinations (Brahmanikava defined by Phuley) come in many forms: Shah listening to Man Ki Baat in a Ravidas Temple, Gehlot minimising the atrocities committed on his own people, and Thakurs ruling the state along with their own militia.

~~~
Mangesh Dahiwale is Director, Thinking Eye Studio Pvt Ltd, and Chairman, Manuski.
 

The post Ravidas, Thakur arrogance, and the Double Game appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh has been on the boil for nearly a month as the Thakurs – also known as Kshatriyas or Rajputs – have been engaged in violent attacks on the Dalits in which several people have been killed, several others injured, houses burnt.

Western Uttar Pradesh is a very fertile land owned by powerful farmers from Jat and Gujjar communities who have dominated the politics with late Charan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, the tallest icon among them. Suddenly it is the most active place for the Hindutva strategists to plan their future politics in the state.

The BJP was never the first choice of the farmer communities in Uttar Pradesh. Charan Singh had actually created an alliance of Ahir, Jat, Gujjar and Rajputs (AJGAR). But later on the Janata brand of socialists converted this into MAJGAR by adding Muslims to it. This was a powerful alliance and leaders succeeded through weaving this secular alliance.

Some added ‘Harijans’ too in the combination which was the term being used for Dalits before 1980s. It is another matter that before the arrival of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), this region’s Dalits could never use their franchise independently without any fear or favor.

But after the hugely successful ‘Muzaffarnagar experiment’ to control politics in Uttar Pradesh, BJP needed to break this alliance and convert it into the Muslim vs non-Muslim binary which gave it high ‘return’’ of votes during the elections.

An analysis of the beneficiaries from BJP’s strategy and harvest of hatred reveals it is the two communities of Thakurs and Brahmins who were absolutely marginalized in the post-Mandal politics. Due to over-ambitious and narrow-minded approach of current day politicians the dedicated workers of the RSS were able to use the contradiction among various communities to convey to the Thakurs and Brahmins that they were victims of ‘appeasement of Muslims’ and got them highly charged.

The problem with the current dispensation is that it has no time for governance as it continues to be in the election mode having learnt the art of democratic dividends through division of votes.

On April 20^th this year, Saharanpur saw an attempt to create a rift between the Dalits and Muslims. BJP MP Ram Lakhan Pal Sharma wanted to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti by organizing a procession which was to pass through some of the Muslim dominated areas. The administration denied permission as the Dalits who had already celebrated the Ambedkar Jayanti Programme on April 14^th felt no need of participating in the BJP-organised programme.

Sharma’s supporters became violent and the police was virtually helpless in front of the goons of the MP. The Superintendent of Police Lav Kumar’s house was ransacked. His wife narrated the ordeal of her family with little children and how they were terrified.

Instead of taking any action against Sharma, the Uttar Pradesh government transferred the honest officer and brought in another officer Subhash Chandra, against whom the previous UP government appointed judicial commission probing Muzaffarnagar riots had passed critical remarks.

The first engineered riots after April 20^th was when the Thakurs decided to celebrate the Maharana Pratap Jayanti. Maharana Pratap has become an important icon for the BJP to exploit in the name of ‘nationalism’. But in fact behind celebrations of Maharana Pratap and Prithviraj Chauhan jayantis is the idea of Rajput supremacy.

BJP has been able to use the powerful dominant communities including Rajputs, Jats, Lodhs, Kurmis into its fold through blatant hate propaganda against Muslims. Celebrating these jayantis not only strengthens the perception but also to give an opportunity to the ‘depressed’ communities who do not have any ‘role models’ to propagate. Two prominent Rajput leaders VP Singh and Arjun Singh were widely associated with the movement for social justice for backward classes. But for Rajputs they are ‘traitors’ as they facilitated the implementation of Mandal’s recommendations at different levels.

Recently Yogi Adityanath was invited as chief guest to commemorate the birthday of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar in Lucknow. Despite claiming to be a ‘socialist’ leader and follower of Acharya Narendra Dev, Chandrashekhar was essentially a Thakur and remained ‘proud’ of his values. In the villages of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Thakurs still consider Chandrashekhar as one among their top leaders.

Now, this caste unity is growing beyond party lines. After the ascendency of Yogi Adityanath, the Thakurs in Uttar Pradesh are virtually celebrating. They seem unable to understand the responsibility of running a state administration without any caste biases. There are reports of Thakur civil servants being given important positions in administration.

RSS and other allied organisations are not as active in the state as Yogi Adityanath’s Hindu Yuva Vahini which has outnumbered them. Most of the leaders of the Vahini hail from powerful Rajputs (Thakurs) families as well as dominant OBC communities. This has resulted in violence against Muslims and now against Dalits who are asserting themselves.

Saharanpur has been the hub of the BSP and powerful Ambedkarite assertive politics. The Dalits here have been active in the BSP movement for long and their alliance with Muslims is always a winning combination.

The other powerful community in the district is Gujjar but in the politics of farcical sloganeering the Thakurs and Brahmins have dominated the art of manipulating things. This has reduced Gujjars into a political non-entity despite being in majority in the region.

With elections to the local bodies around the corner, it is reported that BJP’s Raghav Lakhan Pal Sharma is eyeing for his son to contest. However, there is another other side of the story too.

As reported by Sanjiv Chandan in the Forward Press about the possible involvement of Sher Singh Rana, the man accused of killing Samajwadi Party MP Phoolan Devi and who is now on bail. It is no secret that Rana used the murder of Phoolan Devi to promote his political interest by suggesting that he has avenged the killings of the Rajputs in the Behmahi village in Kanpur Dehat allegedly by Phoolan Devi. Sanjiv Chandan, who interviewed him, says that Rana is a politically savvy and highly ambitious person and has been actively promoting Maharana Pratap as the pride of Rajputs.
The rise of Bhim Army can be seen as a threat to Rajput supremacy and there is a possibility of the Hindutva forces supporting such caste army which fights for maintaining status quo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been paying glorious tributes to Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He misses no opportunity to quote him profusely as the builder of modern India. But he has yet to understand that a modern, democratic Ambedkarite cannot go with the old rajas, kings, emperors and monarchs.

Personally speaking, there is no justification of celebrating the valor of rajas and maharajas as they were the product of their period and except for taking pride in their caste, there is nothing much to glorify and celebrate.

Today, if we are talking of ending the caste system, bringing a law against untouchability or affirmative action for the Dalits and other marginalized sections of society, it is because of democracy. Were these possible if we had the old regimes still in place?

Why is Indian society so fanatical about caste and untouchability? If ideologues of the Sangh Parivar who glorify these icons and are deliberately highlighting an icon for each community to celebrate and ‘glory’ over the past, then they should tell us how many of these rajas worked for ending caste discrimination, untouchability in their empire?

In fact the biggest victims of the old system are the Rajputs themselves, where majority of the women still live behind veils (ghoonghat). This is particularly so in Rajasthan which is considered to be a region where Rajputs ruled for long and which still has palaces and forts that make all of us proud of these historical and beautiful structures. But at the same time we have the reality of a highly feudal system, caste system, child marriages and celebration of Sati too. The Sati practice was justified by none less than the Gwalior royal family and one of the founding members of BJP was the late Vijaya Raje Scindia.

The huge protest that the Bhim Army organized at Jantar Mantar last week has shown the strength of the Dalits who may not be willing to depend too much on political parties for resolving their crisis particularly related to their integrity and dignity.

The Bhim Sena has grown in the region by taking up constructive work among in the community, starting schools, developing entrepreneurship among Dalits. Of course, the primary strength of the Bhim Army is the Chamar community. It makes one wonder whether the Hindutva forces see the Bhim Army as a threat or plans to use it to sideline BSP and its leader Mayawati who enjoyed immense power in this region.

People were expecting Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad to be arrested at the Jantar Mantar. But he has not been arrested so far. At the moment we will not speculate about his activities or future plan of action unless there is some more public action on his part.

On May 23^rd, BSP President Mayawati visited Shabbirpur village where the houses of Dalits were ransacked by the Thakurs on May 5^th. The administration did not allow her to use a helicopter. Hence she went there by road which proved to be a boon as thousands of BSP workers from Ghaziabad to Meerut and Muzaffarnagar were waiting for her enroute to Saharanpur.

She had a road show and she spoke of maintaining law and order and asked for actions against the culprits. She also provided financial support from her party to families who had lost their houses, which is something the state government should have done.

One may disagree with her but she has been measured in her response which many of her strong critiques in the community see as tame surrender to upper caste politics. But people should not forget that you can’t expect a four-time chief minister to speak in a tit-for-tat, ‘khoon ka badla khoon se lenge’ kind of language which the Hindutva politicians have been using.

Mayawati showed maturity but it is also time for her to aggressively articulate the demands of young educated Dalits who are getting restive with slow or non-responses by her party on these kinds of issues. People feel that she has taken nearly a month to visit Saharanpur yet it warmed the already depressed cadres.

As soon as the Dalits were returning from Mayawati’s programme in Shabbirpur in Saharanpur district, there were clashes and violence was reported. The Thakurs attacked the Dalits resulting in several deaths. It is ironic that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister or the Prime Minister has not spoken a word on the attacks.

Mere condemnation will not work. The fact is that these kinds of contradictions that the BJP tried to manage during the elections with its one-point agenda of anti-Muslim rhetoric will not work for long. The Rajputs have become hyper during this government. Economically, they are not a power house. With land getting fragmented they do not have the strength of numbers to control politics of the region.

In the government services the percentage of Rajputs is very low. One of the reasons for this was the community’s disdain for it given its feudal outlook. Over the past few decades Rajputs did not engage in caste violence and seemed to have accepted the social reality that they don’t have numbers. Nor do they have the financial power of industrialists like Mukesh Ambani to dictate politics to politicians.

But with the growth of Hindutva and its muscular politics, Rajputs are again being ‘militarised’. This is a desperate attempt which is suicidal for it as we are living in the 21^st century where each one is being watched and observed. It is the age of human dignity and human rights. In the age of democracy Rajputs can’t live in the present glorying in their ‘past’.

A Maharana Pratap can be an icon for the community in terms of valour. But in today’s world you celebrate it through ideas and not guns. It is time for them to take the path of Buddha and that would guarantee their liberation along with all others.

The creation of community-based heroes is a political construct of the Sangh Parivar so that we all are stuck to our communities and do not accept any other thought of liberation. Such confinement reduces Maharana Pratap to a Rajput icon while relegating Dr Ambedkar to merely a Dalit icon.

The Rajputs and for that matter any other ‘sawarna [upper] caste must liberate itself from the prejudices of the past. That is possible only when they are able to positively understand the writings of Dr Ambedkar. But the political parties which want to use Ambedkar just to garner Dalit votes will never be able to do justice with him.

Dalits are responding to the challenges of the present in different ways. Many believe in a political response, others are thinking of a mighty Bhim Army while a few of them are resorting to religious conversion.

Over 180 families converted to Buddhism in Saharanpur. Earlier, in Sambhal district Balmikis [Valmikis], which is a community of manual scavengers, left Hinduism and embraced Buddhism because of their continuous isolation. The tragedy is that even the barbers were not cutting their hair.

How has it happened that all of a sudden the anti-Dalit feelings in the state are growing? We need to probe it. The fact is that barbers are one of the most humiliated communities in India and at many places their job is not just cutting hair. In our traditional village system of Manu they are supposed to serve both the bride and bridegrooms sides.

This includes washing the feet of baratis and all kind of work which none would advise in modern democratic society. But such is the ‘power’ of varnashram dharma that even a humiliated barber enjoys humiliating those who he feels are ‘lower’ than him.

Long ago Babasaheb Ambedkar had called it graded inequality, ascending order of reverence and descending order of contempt.

Religious conversion definitely has been a liberation theology for the Dalits in India. But pressure of the government makes it difficult for them to exercise this right to faith in today’s time. The right to faith is frankly provided to them just for conversion to Buddhism as the Hindutva forces consider Buddhism part of their dharma. Though this is incorrect they don’t feel too much of threat from it.

Other than this, any conversion to Islam or Christianity by the Dalits will not only be violently protested by the Sangh Parivar’s various offshoots but also by the state apparatus. Even when the Sangh Parivar is not seeing Buddhism as a threat at a broader level they are gleeful of the fact that there has not been any major call for conversion to Buddhism since the passing away of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who embraced Buddhism in Nagpur on October 14^th, 1956 with a large number of his followers.

Can any organization give a call to Dalits over the country to embrace Buddhism on October 14^th 2017 this year? When political parties fail Dalits, they will either embrace militancy or spiritual liberation through conversion. Is there any other way which can give them justice and sense of belonging?

The post Prompted by the sangh parivar, Thakurs of Uttar Pradesh fighting a losing battle against Dalits appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Saharanpur: UP Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra talks to the persons affected by the violence in Saharanpur, in Shabbirpur on Wednesday. PTI Photo

With violence continuing in Saharanpur on Wednesday, one more person was killed while several were injured.

One person was killed and at least 13 others were grievously injured on Tuesday evening as groups of Thakurs targeted Dalits who were returning home after attending a public meeting addressed by Bahujan Samajwadi Party leader Mayawati in Shabbirpur village.

For their failure to control the caste clashes in Saharanpur yet, the UP government has suspended the District Magistrate (DM) Nagendra Parsad Singh and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), SC Dubey, while Divisional Commissioner NP Agarwal and DIG JK Shahi have been transferred out of the district.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has dispatched a team of top officials led by Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra to Saharanpur.  

An official spokesperson said Bablu Kumar has been posted as SSP, Saharanpur, Pramod Kumar Pandey will be the new DM.

While the BJP government is blaming Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati’s public meeting on Tuesday for the fresh eruption of violence after, the Dalit leader accuses the “casteist forces” in the BJP and RSS for the Thakur-Dalit clashes in Saharanpur and the deteriorating law and order situation in UP.

“The saffron brigade has got a free hand to carry out communal and casteist activities to harass people… everyone needs to remain vigilant,” she said.

The Congress party too has blamed the BJP government for failing to protect Dalits and demanded an independent probe into the violence.

The Adityanath government meanwhile has announced a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the family of the person killed on Tuesday and Rs. 50,000 each to all the injured.

“They butchered us like sheep”

“They butchered us like sheep”, is how the 80-year-old Phool Singh, one of the  grievously injured Dalit victims now in a Meerut hospital described the attack by some Thakurs to the Times of India.

“They stopped our car. Then they came inside and tried to severe my head with a sword. I raised my hand to protect my head and it got almost cut. Then they attacked my leg with the sword and I could feel the blade cutting through my flesh and half of the bone. They butchered us like sheep.”  

Other badly injured Dalit victims also being treated at Meerut’s Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial College told the Times of India they had been attacked with swords, cleavers, spears and knives by groups of people who had their faces masked. The attacks were launched when the Dalits were returning from a public meeting addressed by Mayawati in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district.

Rajesh Kumar told the Times of India: “What has happened in Saharanpur in the past month is very wrong. Dalits have been targeted, houses burnt and people have been attacked. I had gone to Mayawati’s meeting because it is important for Dalits to unite.

Dalits have been targeted by the upper castes in several districts of UP – Saharanpur, Sambhal, Moradabad — since the BJP’s coming to power in the state two months ago.

As reported earlier by Sabrang India, angered by the caste atrocities, some Dalits have already converted to Buddhism, some others have declared a plan of doing so, while still others have threatened to convert to Islam.

Over 50,000 Dalits from UP, Delhi and elsewhere in north India braved the blistering heat and defied the Delhi police to stage a massive protest at Jantar Mantar in the nation’s capital last Sunday.  
 The “state is set for the struggle” against anti-Dalit atrocities, the lawyer and founder of the Bhim Army, Chandrashekhar had declared at the rally.

The trigger for the ongoing violence in Saharanpur was pulled on May 5 when Thakurs lodged a full scale attack on Dalits in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district in UP. They burnt more than 58 houses along with 4 shops, motorcycles, vans, provisions etc, looted jewellery and seriously injured 14 Dalits, including women and children.  

Also Read: Attacks on Dalits in UP: Valmikis say 'farewell' to Hinduism, threaten to convert to Islam.

Also Read:‘India is Threatened by Brahminism, Not Muslims’, says Bhim Army Chief

Also Read:Saharanpur a test for Yogi’s government

Also Read: Dalits defy Delhi police, hold massive protest at Jantar Mantar; “Stage set for struggle”, says Bhim Army chief

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Also read: Dalit Assertion; Bhim Army at Jantar Mantar

The police have registered a case against 500 persons who are incensed over the growing “discrimination” and “unjust practices” against UP Dalits in general and in particular at the atrocities against the community in Saharanpur district by Thakurs on May 5.

The case has been filed on a complaint lodged by the police station in-charge of Majhora police station, Hoshiyar Singh.

The protestors also alleged that a police officer had tried to hurl a shoe at a protesting Dalit.

Demanding justice from the chief minister the protestors alleged that Dalits were being mistreated by the upper castes since his taking over the reign in the state.
 

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Over 50,000 Dalits from UP, Delhi and elsewhere in north India braved the blistering heat and defied the Delhi police to stage a massive protest in the nation’s capitol on Sunday.  
The 30-year-old lawyer and founder of the ‘Bhim Army’ Chandrashekhar, who had gone undercover following the anti-Dalit atrocities by Thakur in Saharanpur on May 5, surfaced at the rally, delivered a fiery speech. Hundreds of posters greeted Chandrashekhar, including one which read, “Racism isn’t born, its taught”.

Amidst repeated chants of “Jai Bhim” that resounded at Jantar Mantar, Chandrashekhar, “Main kayar nahin hoon. Meri awaaz aap tak pahunchana tha. Issi liye abhi tak chupa tha. Ab main surrender karronga” (I am not a coward. I wanted my message to reach you. I will surrender now). Later he went to a local court to surrender but was told to do so in Saharanpur.

On May 5, Thakurs had lodged a full scale attack on Dalits in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district in UP. They burnt more than 58 houses along with 4 shops, motorcycles, vans, provisions etc, looted jewellery and seriously injured 14 Dalits, including women and children.

According to the police, Chandrashekhar has been absconding since the alleged violent protests on May 9 in response to the earlier incidents of May 5.

Also read: President Mukherjee anguished over attack on Dalits in Saharanpur, promises to

Also read: Saharanpur a test for Yogi’s government

At Jantar Mantar rally, the leader of the ‘Bhim Army’ declined to don the blue turban presented to him as a mark of honour. “Main pagdi tab tak sweekar nahin karoonga jab tak desh mein bhagwa aatankwaad khatam nahin hota” (I will not wear a turban until saffron terrorism is rooted out from the country)”, he said.

“This is our country and we will not let it break-up,” he added. He called upon Dalits present at the rally to lodge complaints of atrocities against Dalits with their respective district authorities on May 23.

Many Muslim leaders and activists also participated in the rally which was addressed among others by the Dalit activist from Gujarat, Jignesh Mewani, former president of JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar and Satya Pal Tanwar, national president of ‘Ek Nigahein’.

Mewani who has been playing a major role in mobilizing and raising Dalit demands in Gujarat since the Una incident said: “There are some politicians who call themselves Ambedkar bhakts. But in this country Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis are being attacked. Is this what is meant by sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas?

Tanwar said that Dalits had held a peaceful demonstration in Saharanpur on May 6 and given the police 24 hours to act against those responsible for the attack on Dalits in Shabbirpur village the previous day. When the police failed to act, Dalits held a peaceful rally on May 9. Tanwar alleged that without any provocation not only did the police lathi-charge the demonstrators, Bajrang Dal activists even resorted to firing at the Dalits.

After the rally a memorandum was handed over to the President of India demanding penal action against the errant police and activists of the Bajrang Dal.

The Delhi police told the media later that though permission had been denied for the rally at Jantar Mantar, they did not intervene since a large number was present and also because the rally was peaceful.
 

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The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has expressed his anguish over the attacks on Dalits Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh and has promised to do whatever was in his power to ensure justice to them.

The President’s remark came after a patient hearing he gave to a group of affected Dalits led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Brinda Karat and Subhashini Ali yesterday, said a press statement issued by the party. A memorandum was also handed over to the President.

The memorandum gives details of how in an obvious bid to assert their caste superiority, ran amok on May 5. They burnt 58 homes along with various agricultural implements, 25-26 motorcycles, small vans, groceries and various possessions including childrens’ books and ration cards. Four shops were also burnt while two fire engines and a PAC truck with jawans were prevented from entering the village. Fourteen persons, including five women and one boy (14) have received injuries some very grievous. They are all in the district hospital.

The memorandum points out that the family of a young man from the Thakur community who died due to asphyxiation during the incident received Rs 15 lakh in compensation, but the Dalits have received no compensation or even an assurance of getting any from the district administration. 

“The attack on them [Dalits] by the more powerful social group in the area has also not been addressed properly. Many false cases have been foisted on the Dalits.”

The memorandum draws the President’s attention to the fact that “The formation of the BJP Government in UP has encouraged vigilante groups of its supporters, including the rapidly expanding Hindu Yuva Vahini which is Shri Yogi Adityanath’s own organization, to attack different sections of people in the state with impunity”. 

“BJP leaders, including elected representatives, have also participated in these attacks.  One such attack was witnessed in Saharanpur on the 20^th April when a mob led by the BJP MP attacked the residence of the SSP himself and this officer was subsequently transferred”.

The memorandum seeks the intervention of the President “since many members of the dalit community, for whose welfare and security your government bears a special responsibility, have been injured and have suffered tremendous economic losses apart from humiliation and insult.”

Full text of the Memorandum:
 

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