Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Friday rushed to a North Gujarat village after reports of boycott of the Dalits by higher castes objecting to a youth of the community riding a horse in a marriage procession.
The Dalit community of Lhor village in Mehsana district,which is also the home district of the Deputy Chief Minister, was facing aboycott after a bridegroom rode a horse during his wedding procession.
According to the Dalits in the village, they were deniedmilk and other necessary grocery items from the market under the influence ofthe boycott. Even the autorickshaw drivers were not ready to give them ride outof fear.
“The wedding procession was taken out on Tuesday whenthe upper caste members objected to the boy riding a horse and asked thecommunity to keep their aspirations in check,” a police officer said. Thevillage head (sarpanch) Vinuji Thakor, who along with a few other villageelders ordered the villagers to socially boycott the Dalit community, has beenarrested, the police said.
“I came to know about the incident on Thursday nightand decided to visit the village the next day,” informed Patel.
The Deputy Chief Minister said: “I talked with thevillagers and the community heads for about one and a half hour and the Dalitcommunity have demanded assured protection with respect to the incident towhich they have my assurance.”Meanwhile, Social Justice and EmpowermentMinister Ishwarbhai Parmar had ordered an inquiry into the incident onThursday.