Clashes broke out in a Saharanpur village on May 5 between members of the Dalit and Thakur community following a dispute over a procession in memory of Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap. The clash was the latest incident in a three-month-old dispute between the two communities over the installation of an Ambedkar statue in the village.
Four separate FIRs have been lodged against Dalits in Shabbirpur village on different charges, including murder and attempt to murder, on the basis of complaints lodged by Thakurs.
Around 15 Dalits, who were allegedly attacked by the Thakurs with rods and other sharp objects, are currently undergoing treatment at the Saharanpur district hospital and around 22 Dalit homes stand charred.
But how did a fight turned so ugly?
Saharanpur Range DIG Jitendra Kumar Shahi said the SO of Badgaon police station was informed about the fight over loud music and he went to the spot to stop the music. However, this irked the Thakurs, who called the Thakurs of nearby villages and soon, a crowd of 50 people gathered in the area.
Following which a few people from the Jatav community pelted stones at the Thakurs which was followed by chaos. Amidst all this, one person named Sumit Rapjput collapsed. Though the initial medical report says he died out of suffocation, his death set off rumours that the Jatavs had killed a Thakur.
Soon, more Thakurs reached the spot and the angry mob started ransacking Dalit homes and “torched a few”.
Dalit families, disagree that they pelted stones at the Thakurs. They say that most of the Dalits work as labourers on land owned by Thakurs and that they would never have attacked them.
Apart from three FIRs, the police are in the process of registering a few more. “We have filed three FIRs so far – one based on the complaint of the father whose son died, a Thakur whose leg was broken in the incident, and of police vehicles that were damaged. We have got some complaints from the Jatavs and we are in the process of registering some more FIRs,” said the DIG.
