Representative image of man eating.
Credit: iStock
Raisen: A man from Raisen district has accused his village panchayat of ordering a social boycott against him and his family after he ate at a Dalit household during a post-death ritual. The incident, which took place about a month ago in Piparia Puaria village of Udaypura, surfaced during a public hearing on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
According to the complaint, the panchayat allegedly declared a boycott of three upper-caste men for consuming food at the Dalit family’s home, and imposed conditions to avoid ostracism—such as organising a village feast. Two of them complied, but the third, Bharat Singh Dhakad, refused and instead approached the police, claiming that he and his family were being treated as “untouchables” and barred from community events.
Udaypura tehsildar Dinesh Bargale confirmed that Dhakad accused the sarpanch, deputy sarpanch, and panch members of issuing the boycott order. “The matter is being investigated, and legal action will follow if the allegations are substantiated,” he said.
Dhakad stated that he, a gram panchayat assistant secretary Manoj Patel, and teacher Satyendra Singh Raghuvanshi had eaten at the Dalit family’s home during a shraddha ceremony. He alleged the panchayat later passed a resolution calling the act a “greater sin than cow slaughter,” demanding purification rituals that included bathing in the Ganga and hosting a community feast. While Patel and Raghuvanshi complied, Dhakad refused, after which he claims he was excluded from social events, denied temple entry, and even asked to shave his head and perform pind daan for his living father.
Sarpanch Bhagwan Singh Patel rejected the allegations, calling them baseless. “If someone is not inviting him for personal reasons, that is their matter. Allegations of untouchability are not true,” he said.
SDOP Kunwar Singh Mukati noted that social exclusion, forced rituals, or discriminatory punishments constitute offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “Every citizen has the right to equality and dignity. Such cases will be investigated, and offenders prosecuted,” he said.
Raghuvanshi, one of the men named, said he no longer faces any boycott. He acknowledged visiting his guru’s ashram in Allahabad and bathing at the Sangam as per the panchayat's directions but added, “I do not believe in caste. The Dalit man is my friend, and I have no complaints against anyone.”