NEW DELHI – The caste system prevalent in the country is a comprehensive, systematised, and institutionalised form of oppression of members of the lower castes, particularly the Dalits. Formalised during the British colonial period, the system created four social orders and multiple subunits. Sitting outside the traditional four orders are the Dalits, who experience social, economic, and religious discrimination due to an inherited status related to traditionally polluting occupations.
The oppression associated with the caste system was recently apparent in Chaurai village under the Jabalpur Naka Police Outpost in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, where a Dalit groom’s wedding celebration turned violent on Tuesday night. The groom, seated in a chariot, faced backlash from some influential locals of the upper caste who disapproved of the practice.
According to eyewitnesses, the group vandalised the chariot after the wedding, attacked the horse with sticks, and assaulted the chariot owner. The injured were later taken to the district hospital for treatment, and a formal complaint was lodged with the police on Wednesday morning.
The upper caste attackers had reportedly warned the buggy owner earlier, saying, “Dalits are not allowed to ride in a horse-drawn buggy.” Despite the threats, the groom’s family proceeded with the buggy, assured by locals that they would ensure safety, media reports reaching here said on Thursday.
Jaykishan Rajak, a relative of the chariot owner, shared the ordeal,” My brothers Rahul Rajak and Krishna Rajak, along with Jagdish Ahirwar, were attacked while returning from the wedding. The buggy was broken, the DJ van’s glass shattered, and the horse was beaten mercilessly.”
The attackers, believed to be workers at a local eatery owned by Ratnesh Thakur, were identified in the complaint.
Anand Ahirwar, in charge of the Jabalpur Naka Outpost, confirmed the investigation and said, “We are looking into the matter. Appropriate action will be taken based on the facts uncovered.”
In many parts of the country, Dalit grooms are forbidden from riding horses or using buggies for their processions.
A buggy owner, speaking anonymously, expressed his frustration. “We are deeply hurt. Such attacks discourage us from participating in weddings where there is opposition from dominant groups,” media reports quoted him as saying.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net.