Draconian Decision by the Village Panchayat !
It was really bad in taste and disgusting to note that the Panchayat of Village
Dangariya in Rajasthan, has passed an order that henceforth, all Dalit women of
the village, when passing in front of the houses of upper caste people, shall
take off their slippers / shoes etc. and may wear them again only after they
have crossed the entire cluster of houses of the upper caste people.
It is pertinent to mention here that the derogatory practice of untouchability
was officially banned in 1935, much before India became Independent and anybody
still found practising untouchability is liable to be punished. It is all the
more disappointing to note that it the Panchayat of village Dangariya, which has
passed such a draconian order, deserves to be condemned severely; as it subjects
the Dalits not only to an unlawful practices, but it also amounts to insulting
and humiliating them. Hence, such high handed people do not simply deserve to be
in the positions of power in village Panchayats (or anywhere else) and should be
summarily dismissed and huge financial penalty be imposed on them for heaping
insult on the Dalits.
It is not out of place to mention here that in many parts of Rajasthan, many
upper caste people do not allow the bride-grooms of the Dalit families to ride
on horse-backs when their marriage processions proceed towards the bride's house
for the solemnisation of marriages.
It is because of such kind of perverted / repressive minds in society that the
under-privileged strata of our society is not able to make some discernible
progress and rise in life. Accordingly, the police should also initiate legal
proceedings against all such Panches of the said village Panchayat and put them
behind the bars.
Not only that, the law enforcing agencies should also ensure that no member of
the Dalit families is subjected to any punishment for refusing to abide by that
derogatory and casteist order. The
matter should be investigated thoroughly and the guilty brought to the book
immediately.
R.D. Bhardwaj "Noorpuri"
Dated : 10th Sept., 2011