In yet another incident of caste-based discrimination, a wedding celebration for a Dalit groom reportedly turned violent on the night of Wednesday, December 11 after some upper caste members attacked attendees and vandalised horse-drawn carriage.
The incident unfolded in Madhya Pradesh’s Chaurai village under the Jabalpur Naka Police Outpost. The groom who was riding on a horse-drawn carriage during his wedding procession, received animosity from some influential upper caste groups, highlighting traditional practices with entrenched social hierarchies.
According to the reports, amid the wedding celebration, these groups arrived at the scene and vandalized the buggy. The buggy owner and several attendees were also assaulted with sticks, leading to injuries of some people who were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
The police were informed with a formal complaint the following morning.
Before the wedding, the buggy owner had received threats from upper-caste community members warning him “Dalits are not allowed to ride a horse-drawn buggy”. However, the groom’s family went ahead with the celebration because leaders of their community had pledged to shield them.
Eyewitness accounts
A relative of the buggy owner, Jaykishan Rajak recounted the incident stating that the wedding attendees were assaulted and thrashed brutally while returning from the celebration. The buggy was broken, the DJ van’s glass shattered and the horse was also beaten mercilessly.
“These attacks not only reflect personal grievances but also broader societal issues and caste prejudice in society”, Rajak said.
Police statement
While speaking to Free Press, Police post-in-charge Anand Ahirwa said, “The three victims Rahul Rajak, Krishna Rajak and Jagdish Ahirwar were beaten by Ratnesh Thakur and one more person.
Police officials stated that they are taking the matter seriously and will pursue stringent action against those responsible for the violence. “A case has been registered and an investigation has also been initiated into the matter,” the police officer added.
Earlier in the Gwalior district, a Dalit groom was subjected to a violent assault, thrown out of his ‘Buggy’ (horse cart) during his wedding procession as it passed through a neighbourhood predominantly inhabited by an ‘upper-caste’ community. The accused were angry over the Dalit procession passing through the residential area.
In February, a Dalit bridegroom was brutally thrashed for riding a horse during his wedding procession in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district,
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
