Himachal News: The recent incident has made it clear how deeply rooted casteism is in Himachal Pradesh. A prominent Dalit leader from the state, Ravi Kumar, was openly subjected to casteist abuses on social media. A man named Naresh Thakur fearlessly wrote on his post, "Chamars, mend your ways." This comment is a direct caste-based attack. Surprisingly, such people have neither fear of the law nor of the Supreme Court's orders. Serious questions are now being raised about the safety and equality of Dalits in Devbhoomi (the land of gods).
Hatred in the name of reservation and tradition
Our investigation has revealed strange justifications behind casteism in Himachal. Some people describe it as part of ‘Dev Sanskriti’ (divine culture) and tradition. Many others consider reservation to be the reason for the hatred. People openly write on social media that they practice casteism because of reservations. They claim that as long as reservations exist, discrimination will continue. Casteism is also justified in the name of protecting Dev Sanskriti. These people forget that the use of casteist slurs and discrimination is a serious crime.
Serious questions about the role of the police
The attitude of the Himachal Police in cases of Dalit oppression has consistently been under suspicion. In many serious cases, FIRs are registered only after immense pressure from Dalit groups. Whether it was the suspicious death of a child in Rohru or the rape of a Dalit woman in Kullu, the police action has been sluggish. The police also showed negligence in the Pallavi death case in Dharamshala. If the police had acted on Pallavi’s complaint two months earlier, her life might have been saved.
Kullu incident: The husband himself was made the culprit
The most frightening face of the police’s working style was seen in Sainj, Kullu. There, a Dalit woman was gang-raped and murdered. Her body was hung from a tree. Without a proper investigation, the police imprisoned the innocent husband of the deceased woman. He languished in jail for a month. Later, protests by women’s groups and a viral audio clip revealed the real killers. The police have not yet disclosed what happened to those real killers. This means that police officers don’t even consider it necessary to hold a press conference in such heinous cases.
Blatant disregard of Supreme Court orders
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Gavai had clearly stated in his order that there is no provision for anticipatory bail under the SC-ST Act. The accused should be sent to jail immediately. Despite this, the police in Himachal Pradesh appear lenient towards the accused. In hundreds of cases, the accused have been given a free pass. Ravi Kumar has more than 200,000 followers on social media. If such a prominent figure can be subjected to casteist slurs, one can imagine the plight of ordinary Dalits. Now it remains to be seen whether the government suppresses this matter or delivers justice.
Poonam Sharma
Courtesy: Hindi News