A case of caste-based discrimination has emerged from Rajsamand district of Rajasthan where a Salvi family belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community was attacked by upper caste individuals during a funeral.
The attack took place in Dev Doongri village falling under the Kushalpura Gram Panchayat when the family of the deceased, Ghisa Ram, who passed away on October 31, was going to perform the last rites on the funeral site provided by the village Panchayat.
Some members of the Rawat community of the local area allegedly attempted to stop the SC family from using the land, which led to tension between the two groups and incidents such as stone pelting. The authorities’ intervention was required to make sure that the burial was possible.
The situation escalated when the members of the Rawat community threatened Ganga Ram and his family with dire consequences, asserting that people from lower castes could not perform last rites on “their land”. This hostility disrupted the funeral procession and forced SC community members to leave, causing significant distress.
Police action over caste discrimination
In response to this incident, Ganga Ram registered a First Information Report (FIR) naming 22 accused people and about 50 to 100 unidentified individuals, citing caste-based abuse, threats, and assault.
The FIR includes several charges under sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015 which elucidates the laws regarding caste bias in India.
The allocation of cremation land for Dalits has become a sensitive issue in Dev Doongri village due to social injustice. Some community members have reported that since this land was designated for Scheduled Castes (SC) to use, tensions have arisen, particularly from upper-caste individuals. These upper-caste residents have forbidden SC individuals from participating in funeral rites near their homes.
A retired army personnel hailing from the village, Veeram Ram said that earlier there were protests but this time it was more intense. The Salvi community has alleged that have been denied entry into MGNREGA works and shops due to their caste status.
Dalit rights activist Bhanwar Meghwanshi also said that there is still some sort of discrimination on a caste basis in Rajasthan and other states where people of the lower castes and backward areas are deprived of their basic social and religious rights.
He said that the activists are going to present a memorandum to the authorities to resolve these problems.
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