Dalit Women Assaulted for Drinking Water in Bihar Temple, FIR Registered

Bihar- In the Gopalganj area of Bettiah district in Bihar, two Dalit women were allegedly assaulted for drinking water from a handpump situated within a temple premises. It is claimed that both women were beaten and subjected to caste-based insults for drinking water inside the temple. According to the information accessed by The Mooknayak, the incident occurred in the Dukhi Chhapar village of the Gopalganj police station area on January 2nd.

According to the complaint filed at the Gopalganj police station, Kishanavati Devi narrated that on January 2nd at around 11 AM, she was going to a relative's house with one Sugandhi Devi. During the journey, both women felt thirsty and went to the Bhaisahwa temple in the northern part of the village to drink water from the hand pump. The caretaker of the temple, Kariman Yadav, allegedly objected to them, saying, "You people have no sense. We offer water from this handpump to the deity in the temple. He started hurling more abuses. When Sugandhi Devi objected to the insults, Kariman Yadav reportedly physically assaulted her. The commotion attracted onlookers, and the situation was eventually diffused.

The victims assert that over the last 17 days, endeavors were undertaken to address the issue through the village panchayat, but no concrete actions were initiated. Frustrated with the lack of progress, both victims have now filed a complaint under the SC/ST Act at the local police station. The police are conducting an investigation based on the provisions of the SC/ST Act.

The victims allege that even in the panchayat, they were not allowed to clarify their stand properly. Due to the lack of resolution in the panchayat, both women opted to file a written complaint at the SC/ST Act police station. Rana Prasad, the station in-charge, toldThe Mooknayak that an FIR has been registered against Kariman Yadav for assault and Dalit oppression, and the case is being investigated by a lady officer Sandhya Kumari.

Several similar incidents have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in the past.

In Bharatpur, Rajasthan, on September 8, 2023, a child was assaulted for drinking water from a matka (earthen pot) in a government primary school. In Jalore, Rajasthan, a Dalit student was beaten to death for drinking water from a matka in a school on an earlier occasion.

In Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit youth was fatally beaten for drinking water from a public tap in November 2023.

In Pathariya police station area of Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit youth was beaten for drinking water from a shop in December 2023.

In Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, two brothers were tied up and beaten for more than eight hours for a dispute related to their fallen bike.

In Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, two Dalit youths were assaulted, their faces blackened, and they were forced to eat dirty food on June 30, 2023, based on false allegations of teasing girls.

Rajasthan still remains a fertile ground for caste-based discrimination. Incidents of Dalit oppression often come to light from this region. The year 2023 was no exception. On April 13, a Dalit named Kojararam was murdered in Barmer. The murder took place in the village of Asadi in a longstanding land dispute that dated back six years. Kojararam's murder was carried out in a ruthless manner. Earlier, Kojararam had filed nine cases related to his oppression. This highlights the severity of the administration's attitude towards the Dalit community. The assailants had also kidnapped Kojararam's two daughters. In April, another incident in Barmer involved the rape of a Dalit woman, who was subsequently set on fire while still alive.

According to the NCRB report, incidents of sexual assault against Dalit women have increased in Uttar Pradesh. On October 29, in the village of Patora in Banda district, a woman working at a flour mill, located about 100 meters away from her home, was not only sexually assaulted by members of the Brahmin community but was also brutally murdered. The woman's body was found in three pieces. The police initially described the incident as an accident, while the Dalit family accused the perpetrators of sexual assault and murder.

In the village of Ramdai Pur in Amethi, a Dalit youth was fatally attacked with sharp weapons by the father of a boy involved in an inter-caste love affair. The attack resulted in the death of the youth, and his grandmother was severely injured.

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