Dispute over Holi revelry turns into caste conflict

BHARATPUR: DALITS AND UPPER CASTE PEOPLE AT A DHOLPUR VILLAGE LEVEL CHARGES

AND LODGE CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST EACH OTHER

Holi revelry in a Dholpur village turned into a caste conflict on Saturday as Dalits and the upper caste people levelled charges against each other and lodged criminal cases, police said.

A Rajput family in Madho Ka Pura village lodged a case against five Dalit men for assaulting a woman after allegedly smearing colour on them on Friday.

Police said this led to a clash between the two sides.

Later, the Dalits too registered a criminal case against 10-15 Rajput men for deliberately hurting sentiments, assault and illegal assembly under some sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Both cases were registered at the Dihouli police station.

Circle officer of Maniya police circle, Bachchan Singh, investigating the two cases, said that police went to the village on Sunday to inquire into the cases.

On Sunday, some Dalit men, led by Anil Kumar Jatav, met Dholpur superintendent of police and complained that the upper caste men were forcing them to remove pictures of Ambedkar and Buddha from invitation cards for a wedding.

The police chief forwarded the complaint to the police station concerned, asking them to provide security to the family.

Jatav said, “Invitation cards for my sister, Rajeshwari’s wedding, has pictures of Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha, but the upper caste men were forcing us to remove them.”

Rajeshwari’s father Puran Singh Sengar said that the Rajput men came to his house on Saturday morning with sticks and threatened to kill them if the pictures were not removed.

“We have requested police to take action against these men,” Sengar added.

On the other hand, Mukesh Thakur, one of the accused in Dalits’ complaint, said there was an argument between the two sides over Dalits’ playing Holi with Rajput women.

“They abused us and later pelted stones on our house. We have registered a complaint with the police,” Thakur said.

He denied the allegation that his family was forcing Dalits to remove Ambedkar’s and Buddha’s pictures from wedding cards.