Jaipur, May 30: In Rajasthan, if a dalit bridegroom rides a horse in his marriage procession, he faces stiff resistance from “upper caste” Hindus. The state has witnessed over a dozen incidents of dalit grooms’ wedding processions being stoned by the “upper caste”.
Mangilal Nayak of Samsia village, under Kotri police station in Bhilwara district, was beaten up by “upper caste” Hindus when his grandson rode a horse in his marriage procession. Nayak has been admitted to Bhilwara’s MGH Hospital with injuries. According to his FIR, “upper caste” Hindus attacked on him on May 19. But Kotri police station house officer Bhanwar Singh told this correspondent that it had no connection to the dalit issue.
“The marriage took place a month ago and it was an old dispute that ended in the beating of Mangilal. We have arrested two persons in this regard,” he said. On April 28, a dalit bridegroom was unseated from his horse in Pakhand village, in Rajsamand district, and “upper caste” people beat up the members of the wedding procession. In an another incident, in Udaipur district, dalit groom Banshi and his wedding procession were stoned by “upper caste” Hindus.
The dalits have named 24 people in the FIR and the police has arrested over a dozen of them. On May 14, a dalit, Shyoji Khateek of Akoda village in Bundi district, was busy with preparations for his two daughters’ weddings. When the bridegrooms rode horses and led the procession, the “upper caste” Hindusattacked the marriage party and unseated the grooms. The case has been reported to the Hindoli police station. In many cases, dalit grooms’ wedding processions were allowed only when the police made security arrangements. Even in Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s Jhalawar district, one dalit groom could freely lead his procession only when the police provided protection.
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