"Ruined All Excitement": Upper Class Men Attack Dalit Groom's Wedding Procession
Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh: In continuation of the attacks against Dalits and other marginalised groups, a Dalit constable’s big day turned to sorrow as his wedding procession was allegedly disrupted and attacked by upper-caste men in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr. The incident occurred on Sunday night as the upper class men reportedly opposed the DJ music of the wedding procession while vandalising the vehicles, pelting stones, and forcing the groom off his horse, ruining the joy and the celebration of the family.
According to the police, many guests have suffered injuries in the attack, and the cops have filed an FIR against five suspects. The investigation is underway, reports the Times of India.
Read Also: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Top In Atrocities Against Dalits: Report
The incident comes on the heels of another attack on Dalits by upper-caste Hindus in Chaurai village under the Jabalpur Naka Police Outpost in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh during a matrimonial alliance.
The victim is identified as Robin Singh, 31, a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constable posted in Ghaziabad. The police constable was marrying a fellow constable from Lakhawati. According to the statement by the groom’s father, the upper-caste men had objected to the wedding procession passing through their area with the DJ music. “They pelted stones at us, forcibly pulled my son off the horse, and vandalized the DJ vehicle. Some guests sustained injuries in the attack,” Times of India quotes the groom’s father.
Read Also: Dalit Couple Tied, Beaten And Made To Wear Garland Of Shoes In Madhya Pradesh
Notably, according to Robin Singh, some of the attackers had attended his engagement held earlier. He said that the attackers misbehaved with the guest, saying a Dalit baraat should not pass through their area, lamenting that the violence during the wedding “ruined all the excitement” and the procession was forced to retreat. The groom was finally compelled to take the car to the bride’s house.
According to Rohit Mishra, rural SP, the conflict arose over loud DJ music, and they have filed FIRs under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, preventing free movement, causing hurt, and mischief, along with charges under the SC/ST Act.
Recent reports have shown an alarming rise in anti-Dalit attacks in India as the country has been struggling with deep-rooted caste-based discrimination for long. The social construction where the Dalit lives are often undervalued, leading to a surge in brutal attacks, social boycotts, and caste-based atrocities against the group in the country.
