Dalit Bhajan Singer Forced into Public Apology with Shoes on Head!

Chittorgarh— In the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, a deeply distressing incident has recently come to light, which has raised concerns about humanity and caste-based discrimination. In the village of Dugar, within the limits of the Parsoli police station, a shocking incident occurred involving an elderly Dalit bhajan singer. On September 16, during a public performance of his bhajans, the singer was coerced into making a public apology while carrying a bundle of shoes on his head. This humiliating act was carried out as a response to allegations that he had insulted Sadu Mata, the goddess revered by the Gurjar community, during his rendition of the Bagdavat song.

The victim's family and other Dalit residents in the village are now living in fear due to this incident. Regrettably, some individuals have resorted to threatening Dalits, even going so far as to issue death threats. Audio recordings of such threats have also been circulated widely. Understandably, there is growing outrage among Dalit organizations following the release of a video showing the elderly Dalit bhajan singer being subjected to this cruel treatment.

In protest against this incident, various Dalit organizations have united under the banner of the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi and have submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police, demanding that legal action be taken against the perpetrators. While the police have met with the victim's family and obtained their statements, no arrests have been made in connection with this case as of yet.

Shankar Lal Meghwal Bildi, the District President of the Meghwal Mahasabha, explained that Dalchand Salvi, the elderly bhajan singer, is a respected figure in Dugar village, known for traveling from village to village to sing Bhagwat songs. He highlighted the fact that the singer was forced to apologize under duress by antisocial elements from Dugar and nearby villages, who accused him of insulting Sadu Mata. This involved placing a bundle of shoes on the singer's head, a degrading and inhumane act.

Nirmal Desai, the patron of the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Academy, expressed concerns about the growing prevalence of caste-based crimes and the nature of the objections raised by the Gurjar community regarding the song's lyrics, which he had not heard personally. He emphasized that if anyone's religious sentiments were hurt by the song, legal action could have been pursued rather than resorting to such disgraceful treatment of an elderly Dalit artist. Desai reiterated that the Dalit organizations had submitted a signed memorandum to the Superintendent of Police, urging the authorities to take action against those involved in the incident.

Madaran Salvi, the patron of the All India Salvi Sutrakar Mahasabha, condemned the incident, where Dalchand Balai, the Bagdawat bhajan singer, was publicly humiliated under the directive of a local council known as Khap Panchayat. This act is unequivocally condemnable in a democratic society and may contribute to the perpetuation of feudalism. In response to this incident, Dalit organizations have also sent letters to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Human Rights Commission, and District Collector of the state.

Chittorgarh Superintendent of Police, Rajan Dushyant informed The Mooknayak that a case has been registered related to this incident at the concerning police station. The investigation has been entrusted to Badrilal Rao, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Begu. The IO was unavailable for a comment.

Story Translated by Geetha Sunil Pillai

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