30-yr-old lawyer

“The authorities had called me to pacify the protesters. We follow Ambedkar and we believe in the law of the land. But what will our people do when there is a difference in the treatment meted out to them?” he said.

However, he claimed that not all those who gathered for the protest on Tuesday were members of Bheem Army.

On Wednesday, the UP government transferred two senior police officers — SP (Saharanpur City) Sanjay Singh and SP (Rural Area) Rafiq Ahmad — for failing to anticipate the fresh protests. Police said 22 Dalits have been arrested, so far.

The protests followed the clash on Friday, in which one Thakur man was killed and 25 Dalit homes set ablaze after Dalits in Shabbirpur objected to loud music being played by Thakurs in a procession to attend a function in honour of Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap.

Chandrashekhar alleged that Thakurs were given permission to hold a ceremony and mobilised crowds wielding swords from seven-eight villages on Friday but Dalits were not allowed to hold “a peaceful protest” four days later.

“In Shabbirpur, when Thakurs started a procession, there was no lathicharge on them. Why this treatment for us?” he said.

Recalling a similar incident in Gadkauli village, near Shabbirpur, Chandrashekhar said that “a major controversy” broke out last year when a board that read ‘The Great Chamar. Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Gram, Gadkauli’ was installed at the entrance.

“Some young Dalit men came to me and said they wanted to install the board on their land. I did not find any problem. When we get certificates of ‘chamar’ from authorities, why should we have any problem in taking pride in that? Thakurs of the village raised an objection but the matter was sorted eventually,” he said.

The Bheem Army, he said, also assists Dalits in education and legal matters. “Our organisation works with police, too. In the past, we have conducted various camps for blood donation as well as traffic awareness with police,” said Chandrashekhar.

“I tell everyone that the most important thing these days is to get educated to fight oppression. After we get their (upper caste) jobs, only then will there be some equality. We have the same blood so why differentiate?” he said.