Rudayan village Dalits to celebrate Holi after 27 yrs
HATHRAS: About 27 years ago, on March 11, 1990, a Dalit of Rudayan village in Hathras district applied colour to an upper caste villager on Holi. The mistake cost him his life and the ruination of other fellow Dalits. Data Ram was burnt alive and houses of 42 Dalit families of the village were reduced to ashes. They never dared to celebrate Holi again.
But this year, the Dalits of Rudayan village will play with colours .
Reason: On February 15 yjis year, the court of the third additional district and sessions judge SN Tripathi in Aligarh awarded death penalty to one Kunwar Pal and life imprisonment to 13 others accused of the carnage. The jubilant Dalits will celebrate the judgment by playing Holi. They have demanded protection from authorities to enjoy the day without any fear of reprisal.
Hari Shankar, Data Ram’s brother, said, “After the court’s order, our confidence has returned. This year, we will play Holi. We have demanded security from the administration.”
Located just 2km from Sasni town, with a population of 5,000, Rudayan village has three government schools, electricity supply, roads as well as a primary health centre. But, even today, one can sense the caste tension in the area.
The March 1990 incident tore apart the social fabric of the village.With time, the hatred between upper castes and Dalits abated. However now, tension has again raised its ugly head after the court’s verdict.
The Dalits are keeping their fingers crossed that nothing happens to disrupt the fragile peace of their village. Ramwati, a villager, said, “In 27 years, the memories of the incident have blurred. Our village has seen quite a bit of development too. Now, after the court’s judgment, we are hoping that the social fabric of the village continues to remain intact.