Dalit Groom Pulled from Mare and Assaulted During Wedding Procession in Gujarat

Gandhinagar- In Gandhinagar district of Gujarat, the act of taking a Dalit groom to his wedding procession on horseback incurred severe consequences. During the marriage celebrations, an individual with alleged casteist beliefs assaulted the Dalit groom at an intersection. Live footage of this incident was captured on camera.

Kalol police promptly registered a case against the accused under various sections of the IPC and the Atrocities Act for obstructing a Dalit groom from riding a mare and assaulting him.

The incident unfolded on the afternoon of February 13 in Chanasma village of Mansa taluka in Gandhinagar district. Kanhaiyalal Chavda shared details of the incident with The Mooknayak, stating that it occurred during the wedding ceremony of his son Vikas. His nephew Sanjay Chavda lodged an FIR regarding the matter.

Narrating the event, Sanjay Chavda stated, "It was my cousin Vikas's wedding. The wedding procession had set out from our home, with about 100 people participating. As the procession made its way to the bride Chandni's house, an individual arrived on a motorcycle. He stopped near Vikas, who was seated on the mare, and forcibly pulled him down by his collar, slapping him in the process. We have video evidence of the incident and have filed a complaint at the local police station."

The accused individuals, identified as Shailesh Thakor, Jayeshkumar JeevanThakor, Sameerkumar Dinesh Thakor, and Ashwin Kumar Thakor, belong to the Thakor community, considering themselves Kshatriyas but classified under the Other Backward Community category.

Several similar incidents have come to light previously.

In May 2019, the entire Dalit community faced social boycott after a Dalit individual was stabbed in Mehsana, Gujarat. The resolution of this matter required the intervention of then Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel, who visited a village in Kadi taluka of Mehsana. Notably, while the Deputy Chief Minister was announcing the resolution between the two communities, three Dalit girls were denied flour from the village flour mill.

This incident is not an isolated one of the Dalit community facing opposition while conducting wedding processions.

In February 2022, in Mota village of Banaskantha district, non-scheduled caste individuals caused a commotion when a Dalit groom rode on a mare and tied his turban during the wedding procession. The groom was subjected to verbal abuse, and stones were thrown at the procession, necessitating significant police intervention.

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