Dalit Man Killed For Marrying Upper Caste Woman In Gujarat. People Kept Watching, As Always.
A 25-year-old Dalit man was hacked to death by people of priviledged caste for marrying outside his community in Gujarat&rsquos capital Ahmedabad. Urmila Zala and Haresh Solanki had been married for six months against the wishes of their family. The incident took place in front of a team from a women&rsqos helpline present at the situation.
India¡¯s most marginalised communities remain threatened by the upper caste community for reasons as petty as fetching water from well and also for marrying outside their castes.
In yet another recent shocking incident, a 25-year-old Dalit man was hacked to death by people of priviledged caste for marrying outside his community in Gujarat¡¯s capital Ahmedabad.
Reports say the incident took place in front of a team from a women¡¯s helpline present at the situation.
Urmila Zala and Haresh Solanki had been married for six months, against the wishes of Urmila¡¯s family.
A report by Indian Express states Urmila, who belongs to the dominant Darbar community, was taken back home from Varmor village near Ahmedabad in May. She is reported to be two months pregnant.
A report by news agency PTI said that after they got married Urmila and Haresh had been living in Gandhidham in Kutch, Haresh¡¯s hometown.
A report by Huffington Post India said Urmila families promised to send her back to Solanki after a few weeks but they later refused to send her back for around two months. Solanki then decided to visit her parents and convince them to send her back.
When they refused, Solanki contacted the women helpline, ¡®Abhayam 181¡¯, and boarded the helpline vehicle for Varmor village.
He remained inside the vehicle while the helpline officials went inside Urmila¡¯s house and tried to persuade her family to send her back. As soon as her relatives realised that Solanki is accompanied by officials, they came out with blunt objects and attacked him.
Ahmedabad: A Dalit man Haresh Kumar Solanki murdered allegedly by his upper-caste in-laws in Varmor village on July 8. Police say, "family of the woman wanted to break the marriage. They called their daughter home&didn't let her return. They invited victim to have talks".#Gujarat pic.twitter.com/aYiB4yNw6n
¡ª ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2019
He sustained grave injuries during the attack and died. The vehicle was damaged in the process while the officials managed to escape.
An FIR has been registered against eight persons, including Haresh¡¯s in-laws, under sections 302 (Punishment for murder), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 147 (Punishment for rioting) and under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In late April, a wedding procession of a Dalit man was attacked by Thakors of the OBC community, who objected to the groom riding a horse in Aravalli district.
The members of the OBC community attacked the wedding procession and hurled casteist slurs.
They said Dalits cannot hold wedding processions and thrashed members of the Dalit community. During the violence, the horse received severe injuries and died a few days later.