Bhopal: In a shocking incident, which is a stark reminder of the prevailing caste system in India, some upper caste men beat up a Dalit family sowing seeds in a field. The incident was reported from Narayanpura village of Lateri tehsil in Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Dalit family which was beaten up allegedly by some men from the Gurjar community, claim that the land on which they were sowing seeds belongs to them. The family said that the men not only beat them and the women sowing seeds, but also snatched the soyabean seeds from them and sowed them in their own field. The victims alleged that the upper caste men did so only to assert their dominance and supremacy.
Four of the victims, who suffered serious injuries, have been admitted to the Lateri Government Hospital. The incident triggered massive outrage and led to calls for strict action against the accused. The opposition also attacked the ruling BJP government in the state.
The victims belonged to the Ahirwar community. They claimed that the attack was unprovoked. One of the victims was quoted by NDTV as saying, “We were sowing seeds on our own land when Murari, Hansraj, Gudda, Parvat, and Bunty came and started beating us. They hit the women too. They took away our seeds and later sowed them in their field as if to assert their dominance.”
Meanwhile the local administration said that a portion of the land on which the family was sowing the seeds belongs to the government. They said that this might have led to the dispute. The Dalit family however claims that the land legally belongs to them. Those beaten up belong to the Ahirwar community.
The family also claims that they were being repeatedly pressurised by the accused to not cultivate the land.
The Vidisha Police said that they are investigating the matter. According to a senior official, there was a dispute between the 2 parties and this led to the incident. He said that police are also looking at the medical report of those injured and strict action will be taken against the accused.
The opposition Congress party has slammed the BJP government. They said that the incident was yet another example of the growing incidents of atrocities against Dalits in Madhya Pradesh. The party also expressed solidarity for the victims and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.
