Row over ‘boycott Dalits’ diktat in Mansa village
MANSA: Dalits of Khiva Dialuwala village here lodged a police complaint on Monday against their alleged boycott by the upper caste families, announcements regarding which were made through loudspeakers from the village gurdwara on Sunday.
The video of the announcement is being widely shared on the social media in which a male voice can be heard urging the upper caste families to boycott lower caste people . The diktat was to neither sell nor buy anything to or from Dalits, not even farm produce, including milk. Dalits will also not be deployed as labour and won’t be invited to social gatherings, the announcement dictates. The village has 66 Scheduled Caste families and 300 of the upper caste.
The development was the result of a September 5 road mishap wherein a 6-year-old Dalit boy got injured after being hit by the two-wheeler of an upper caste man, Makhan Singh, who was booked. The boy is undergoing treatment at PGIMER in Chandigarh. Dalits alleged that instead of helping the family of the victim family, upper caste people were pressing the family to withdraw the case.
Dalits, on Monday filed a complaint with Bhikhi SHO, demanding action in the matter. Rantu Singh, father of the victim boy, said, “Makhan works with a private company. As his family feared that he may lose his job, they and other Jat Sikhs of the village are intimidating us to withdraw the case. Makhan’s family didn’t even enquire about the condition of my son who got serious injuries on the head . Doctors say his treatment may take another three months.”
Lakhwinder Singh, a Dalit from the village, said shops owned by members of their community are shut since Sunday. Milk and other essential commodities are not being sold to the SC families by upper caste families.” Former IAS officer SR Ladhar, who is working for the welfare of Dalits, expressed concern over the situation and said he had talked to DC seeking action in the matter. Deputy commissioner Apneet Raiyiat said a case is being registered . Khudar Singh, son of the sarpanch Baljeet Kaur, who has been named in the complaint filed by Dalits, said, “Even as I am not supporting boycott, it was a collective decision of upper caste families of the village.”
Talking to HT over phone, granthi at the village gurdwara Modan Singh said, “I made the boycott announcement at the behest of the Jat Sikhs of the village, including Khudar Singh, the son of the village sarpanch.”