Twitter
Advertisement

In Ballabhgarh, talk of Dalit mahapanchayat and religious conversion grow louder

Talking to dna, the speakers, most of them belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party, said that the Dalit community will debate the possibility of leaving Hinduism and choosing a religion 'which does not believe in caste system'.

Latest News
article-main
Dalit Community members shout slogans against Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after his visit to Sunpedh village where a dalits house was set on fire allegedly by men belonging to the upper-caste community, in Ballabhgarh in Faridabad on Thursday.
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Dalit leaders from Haryana on Thursday said that if investigation into the killing of two children is not conducted in a fair manner, a mahapanchayat will be convened in the coming days where 'future course of action' would be decided after consultations with the Dalit community. During a meeting with residents of Sunped village in Faridabad district, the leaders added that if 'atrocities on Dalits continue to happen', they would embrace Buddhism or Islam.

Talking to dna, the speakers, most of them belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party, said that the Dalit community will debate the possibility of leaving Hinduism and choosing a religion 'which does not believe in caste system'.

"Haryana police have arrested seven of the accused men while four are still absconding. Police told us that they will, eventually, arrest all the accused but if during police investigation we feel that a deliberate attempt is being made to shield the culprits, a mahapanchayat will be organised," said Surinder Kardan of BSP.

The meeting, which was attended by 30-40 villagers, took place merely a few feet away from Jitendar Kumar's house which was set ablaze on Monday allegedly by upper caste men. Kumar's two children, a nine-month-old daughter and a two-and-a-half-year-old son died of burn injuries and suffocation while his wife, Rekha, is undergoing treatment at the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi.

"If Dalit samaj decides that we need to leave Hinduism, we will do that and if it is decided that we need to covert to Buddhism or Islam, we will do that as well," Kardan added. In August nearly 100 Dalit families of Haryana's Bhagana village converted to Islam in a ceremony at Jantar Mantar in Delhi

"Let this be the last act of oppression that our community has witnessed. Let there be no more atrocities. We must stand united," said Kamal Gautam.

Another local leader from Haryana's Meewat area spoke at the gathering, and said that they will march to the state secretariat as well as Jantar Mantar in Delhi irrespective of whether villagers from Sunped accompany them.

"We will take our struggle to New Delhi and if anyone among you would like to join us your are welcome. We will not force anyone to come with us but we will ensure that death of these children is not forgotten," he said.

The meeting was also attended by people belonging to the adjoining villages. Among those listening to the rousing brief speeches by Dalit leaders were youth of the village. Both Pawan and Manish felt that culprits behind the killings must be punished but they were not sure if changing their religion would make a difference to what they called as 'casteist mindset'.

In the same meeting controversial remarks of BJP Union minister General VK Singh were brought up briefly but speakers changed the topic saying," A tragedy has taken place in this village. We don't need to discuss Mr VK Singh's remarks. "

Blaming a family feud for the burning alive of the two children, Singh had said, "If someone throws stones at a dog, the government is not responsible. It was a feud between two families, the matter in under inquiry."
 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement