Gujarat police book 28 for attacking Dalit wedding

The Banaskantha police in north Gujarat on Tuesday booked 28 persons including the village sarpanch from the upper caste Rajput community for attacking a Dalit wedding procession for "wearing traditional headgear or safa. Earlier, the accused villagers had threatened the family for the groom riding a horse in the wedding procession, following which the latter had given in for a "peaceful wedding."

The incident occurred at Motagam under Gadh police station in Banaskantha district on Monday afternoon while the FIR was registered late in the night after marriage got over. According to the FIR, despite police presence, a group of upper caste men threw "three to four stones" at the wedding procession which hit one of the relatives in his leg. The complainant has stated in the FIR that the accused were protesting against Dalits wearing the traditional headgears locally known as safa.

The FIR has been filed by Virabhai L Sevalia, who has stated that his son Atul was to get married on February 7. He said that since there was an "atmosphere of animosity" in the village over a Dalit bridegroom riding a horse, and his nephew Suresh, a serving armyman, on February 2 had approached the police for protection for taking out the wedding procession and specially for riding a horse.

However, the sarpanch Bharatsinh B Rajput and other villagers told Sevalia that his son "should not ride a horse in the wedding procession." The sarpanch allegedly told him that latter was under pressure from the villagers not to allow horse ride in the wedding. Sevalia has said in the FIR that "a public meeting" was also held in the village where 28 accused persons threatened him for including bridegroom riding a horse in the procession.

He has stated in the FIR that the accused persons allegedly told him that he should see the history of "150 years when no one rode a horse" from Dalit community. The accused villagers allegedly pressurised the family to give in writing that the bridegroom will not ride the horse. His nephew accordingly informed the local police that horse ride would not be included in the procession. Yet, the FIR states, on Monday as the procession, without the bridegroom riding a horse, was passing through the village, stones were pelted in presence of police, which created panic. Sevalia has stated that "police controlled the situation" and accompanied them to wedding venue.

"My son didn't ride the horse and yet his marriage procession was targeted by the upper caste villagers. The baratis were dancing when stornes were thrown at them, leading to choas and frenzy. My son got married in the end but this memory will haunt us forever," Virabhai told DH over phone.

When contacted, Banaskantha district superintendent of police Tarun Duggal told DH, "The FIR has been registered and necessary action is being taken. There were couple of stones thrown at the procession which hit one of them while castiest remarks were also hurled on them. A deputy superintendent of police is investigating the case."

Meanwhile, Suresh Sevalia told DH, "The family wanted the bridegoom ride a horse in the wedding but the upper caste villagers objected. They threatened us, forcing us to cancel the plan yet they threw stones, abused us for wearing safa and harassed us."

Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani highlighted the incident on his Twitter account where he posted, "This entire incident happened in presence of the police. Thankfully with all the interventions, an FIR against some has been filed. This is the state of Dalits in North Gujarat. Think twice before you make an ignorant statement like ‘casteism doesn’t exit anymore’."

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