Dhadak 2’s Savarna Feminism: When ‘Love’ is a Privilege, Not a Feeling Is Dhadak 2 a Love Story or a Story of Savarna Entitlement?
Dhadak 2 (a remake of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal directed by Mari Selvaraj) like Dhadak (a remake of the Marathi film Sairat directed by Nagraj Manjule) follows the trope of a Brahmin girl (Vidhi) meeting a Dalit boy (Neelesh). If it feels harsh to call it a trope, consider how in both Fandry and Masaan, it is a fair-skinned Brahmin girl and a dark-skinned Dalit boy. It’s important we acknowledge these tropes as they form rather than being isolated in a state of gratefulness for a seat at the table. When you search Dhadak 2 on Google, this is what comes up: “Nilesh and Vidhi fall in love with each other. However, tragedy strikes when the caste differences threaten to end their relationship.” Vidhi and Neelesh meet and become friends, but it is Vidhi who is in a position to “fall in love”. In the journey from friends to lovers, who has the privilege of this realization? This uncertain space of the in-between is not equal for all. Love does not suspend our identities. To realize that one is in love with a friend requires freedom of the mind and heart. Neelesh is not allowed this freedom. Dalits are not allowed this freedom. There is a monologue where he struggles to explain his existence to Vidhi, let alone the price that he would have to pay for them breaking caste rules. Caste informs every aspect of both these individuals’ lives but only one of them could ignore it. Both are law students but she comes from a lineage of lawyers while Neelesh is the first in his bloodline to become one. When asked by their professor, she did not hesitate to say her full name, Vidhi Bharadwaj. Yet, when Neelesh Ahirwar spoke to her about being harassed for his last name, she dismissed him saying, “that professor is like that with everyone.” There is no such thing as caste neutrality, only pride and shame. Tragedy has informed Neelesh’s life since the “accident of his birth” in Bhim Nagar. We see this in the opening of the film where a Dalit boy is being murdered and the scene cuts to it coming up casually in a conversation between Neelesh and his friends, as they all lived in the same area. We see a glimpse of his pain in a flashback where the police arrest him and his friends, and assault his mother for “stealing water”. In contrast, tragedy was introduced to Vidhi when she associated outside acceptability by speaking and spending time with a Dalit boy. The tragedy being, her not getting what she wanted, with no regard for the safety of the person she claims to love. Unlike Jo (from Pariyerum Perumal, the character Vidhi is based on) who is naïve, Vidhi is selectively critical. She sees the injustice of gender as she is the victim in this framing but fails to acknowledge her position as an oppressor in terms of caste. When Neelesh points out their differences, her response is to argue that their differences are not her fault. “Love heals all” is easy to say when you’re not the one who’s wounded. If Jo followed the “loosu ponnu” (dumb girl) stereotype of infantilizing women to be completely unaware of their surroundings, Vidhi is a Savarna feminist who does not acknowledge her complicity in caste oppression. She comes close to this when she offers to teach Neelesh English and Latin saying her privilege should be of some use. This was after Neelesh confided in her about an incident of caste violence he experienced. She could see caste when it was a story from his past, when the villains were strangers, but she could not see it in her family, in her brother, her father, herself. When asked about Neelesh’s last name by her family, she boldly, almost rebelliously said “Ahirwar” but later behaved cluelessly when he “disappeared” at the family function she invited him to. The idea that her family harmed him or were even capable of committing harm did not even occur to her. Caste differences did not threaten to end the relationship. It couldn’t be formed in the first place. Not only because of her family’s cruelty but also her own oblivion. What does it mean to be in a relationship, to love, if not to truly see the other person? bell hooks argues that the phrase “falling in love” suggests that love is something that just happens when it actually takes conscious effort. She speaks about how our behaviour shapes our feelings rather than it being the other way around. “To think of actions shaping feelings is one way we rid ourselves of conventionally accepted assumptions such as…that one simply falls in love without exercising will or choice” (hooks, 2000, p. 13). “When we are loving we openly and honestly express care, affection, responsibility, respect, commitment and trust” (hooks, 2000, p. 14). A core belief of hooks is that love cannot co-exist with abuse. Can we think of neglect as a form of abuse? If Vidhi has no idea of the pain her caste and her blood inflicts on someone she loves, can what she felt for Neelesh, even be called love? I wonder if the value we attach to the Dalit man is relationally conditional to the Savarna woman’s feelings about him. Is it because he is loved by an upper caste woman that the audience is supposed to care about him? If this typical Dalit boy meets Brahmin girl is flipped to Dalit girl meets Brahmin boy, would an audience care about a Dalit girl’s feelings the same way? Would they be moved by her tears? Much like how white women’s tears are weaponized, our caste counterpart of Savarna women’s tears holds true as well. After escaping a murder attempt from Vidhi’s family, Neelesh puts forth his “case” expressing how he has been relentlessly tortured by them but this was not respected by the plot; this did not bring about any resolution.
Voter Rights Yatra’ will start without Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi will take charge, now pamphlets will be distributed door to door
Voter Rights Yatra’ will start without Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi will take charge, now pamphlets will be distributed door to door Bihar Voter Adhikar Yatra: Before the assembly elections in Bihar, India Alliance is taking out Vote Rights Yatra. The alliance is also putting its promises in front of the public along with the Voter Rights Yatra. The workers will go door to door and distribute the rights pamphlets. Rahul Gandhi will also join the Yatra. Akhilesh Yadav will participate in the Yatra on August 28. Today is the fifth day of the Vote Rights Yatra. Patna: Before the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav have started the Voter Rights Yatra to woo the public. In this journey, the leaders of the alliance are directly communicating with the people and are taking the list of their promises to every house through pamphlets. Today is the fifth day of the Yatra, but Rahul Gandhi will not start the journey today. Let us know when Rahul Gandhi will join the Yatra again… When will Rahul Gandhi join the Voter Rights Yatra? Thursday is the fifth day of the Voter Rights Yatra. It will start from Sheikhpura and reach Munger, where there will be a halt at night. The yatra had a break on Wednesday. Rahul Gandhi will join the yatra from Thursday evening due to being busy with work related to the Vice Presidential election. Tejashwi Yadav and other opposition leaders will lead the yatra from the morning itself. Akhilesh Yadav will also join the yatra Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal informed on social media platform X that on August 28, Samajwadi Party President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will also join this yatra. He said that Akhilesh’s joining will further strengthen the public movement against vote theft. Mahagathbandhan workers distributing pamphlets full of promises During the yatra, alliance workers are distributing a pamphlet to the people. This pamphlet has pictures of the alliance’s prominent leaders Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, VIP chief Mukesh Sahni and CPI General Secretary D. Raja. This pamphlet mentions promises related to income, medicine, education and social justice. The alliance says that their election manifesto will be prepared on the basis of these promises. Direct communication with the public The alliance is explaining to the public what will be done if their government is formed. Their promise is that better employment (earnings), better health facilities (medicine), quality education (study) and social justice will be ensured to the people. Curated by: Sudhendra Pratap Singh About the author Sudhendra Pratap Singh, Principal Content Producer at Navbharat Times Online. Started journalism from Agra. Started the journey from local newspaper Agrabharat. From here the caravan grew and reached NBT.com via Kalpataru Express, Hindustan News Paper and News18. Currently, he is working on the politics of Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Courtesy: Hindi News
For the first time in a village in Gujarat, a Dalit youth got his hair cut at a barber shop – a centuries-old tradition broken
In Alwada village of Banaskantha, a Dalit youth got his hair cut at a barber shop for the first time, a historic step towards social equality. Banaskantha – A historic event took place on 7 August in Alwada village of Banaskantha district of Gujarat. Kiran (Kirti) Chauhan, a 24-year-old farm labourer of the village, got his hair cut at the village barber shop for the first time. This occasion became a symbol of freedom from the social shackles that had been going on for generations for the Dalit community, not just a haircut. Broken wall of generations About 250 Dalit families live in Alwada village with a population of about 6,500. But this discrimination was going on here for generations that the barbers of the village did not cut the hair of Dalits. Dalits were forced to go to other villages to visit barber shops and many times had to hide their caste. 58-year-old Chhogaji Chauhan says, “Our ancestors used to face this discrimination even before independence. And my children have also been facing the same for the last eight decades.” This experience was very emotional for Kirti Chauhan. He said, “For the first time in 24 years, I sat on the chair of the barber in my village. Earlier we always had to go out. That day I felt that I have been accepted in my own village and am free.” Initiative of social workers and administration In the continuous efforts of the Dalit community, they got the support of social worker Chetan Dabhi. He explained to the upper castes and barbers of the village that this practice is unconstitutional. When the matter did not work out with the explanation, the police and the district administration had to intervene. Mamlatdar Janak Mehta held a meeting with the village leaders and resolved the issue. At the same time, Gram Sarpanch Suresh Chaudhary expressed regret over the past discrimination and said that it is a matter of happiness for him to see this change happening during his tenure. Now all the five barber shops of the village welcome Dalit customers. Barbers and upper castes have also accepted the change Pintu, a 21-year-old barber who cut Kirti’s hair, said, “We used to do this due to tradition. But now that the elders have given permission, there is no restriction. Our business has also increased due to this.” People from the upper castes are also satisfied with this change. Prakash Patel from the Patidar community said, “If everyone can come to my grocery shop, then why not to the barber shop? It is good that this wrong practice has ended now.” A long journey still remains Although this change is commendable, the Dalit community believes that discrimination has not ended completely. Dalit farmer Ishwar Chauhan says, “Today we have got a place in the barber shop, but we are still made to sit separately in the community feast. Hopefully, one day this will also end.” For Alwada village, this haircut is not just an ordinary event, but a big step towards respect, acceptance and equality. As the villagers say, “This is not just a haircut, but a new beginning.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Such brutality with a Dalit youth in Muzaffarnagar: The mob beat him to death on suspicion of theft
Villagers in Budhana town brutally beat a 30-year-old Dalit youth on suspicion of theft, he died at home due to lack of treatment; police started investigation. Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh): A 30-year-old Dalit youth was beaten to death by villagers in Budhana town of the district on Sunday night on suspicion of theft. Police confirmed this on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Monu. The complaint filed by the family states that the villagers beat Monu badly on suspicion of theft. He somehow reached home but died late night. Quoted by the media, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Aditya Bansal said, “No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. Strict action will be taken against the culprits.” Police said that a video of the incident is going viral on social media, with the help of which the accused are being identified. Some people have also been detained and questioned. Monu’s body has been sent for postmortem and investigation into the case is underway. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Sensation in JNU: Casteist abuses on Ambedkar Library table, anger erupts in campus, who is behind this?
The protesters stressed that spreading such hatred in a library named after Dr. Ambedkar is reprehensible. The rally also demanded that awareness campaigns be run in the university and anti-discrimination policies be strictly implemented. New Delhi – Casteist and misogynistic abuses written on a table in the General Reading Hall of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Central Library of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have shocked the student community. Unknown persons wrote casteist and misogynistic abuses, including hateful words like “Chamar $#d ” and “Chamar ki maa ki &%$” on a study table in the General Reading Hall of the library. Students said that the incident is not only derogatory against the Dalit community, but it is also an attack on the progressive image of this university, which is known for social justice. Student activists have termed it as an open display of Brahminical mindset. Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), an organisation fighting for the rights of Bahujan students, took prompt action on the incident. On August 18, BAPSA filed a formal complaint at the Vasant Kunj North police station. In its letter, the organisation demanded that an FIR be lodged against the culprits under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. BAPSA also requested that the CCTV footage of the library be secured and made available for investigation so that the culprits could be identified. BAPSA president Avichal Varkey said such incidents are intolerable. Varkey termed the incident not only as disgraceful but also as an act that made the campus unsafe for students from SC, ST and other marginalised communities. He said, “This is not an isolated incident but a major attack on Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities by the BJP-RSS regime. Such incidents expose the Brahminical mindset that led to the writing of slogans like ‘Dalit India Quit’ and ‘Chamar India Quit’ on the walls of Cauvery Hostel. BAPSA will continue to fight against these casteist goons and raise the voice of marginalised students inside and outside the campus.” Along with the police complaint, BAPSA mobilised the anger of the students and held a massive protest outside the Central Library in the evening. The rally was attended by a large number of Bahujan and progressive minded students who showed solidarity by raising slogans against casteism and hatred. BAPSA leaders including Karyakarta Kranti and Rupesh Kumar called the incident part of a larger scale attack on Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and minorities. The protesters stressed that spreading such hatred in a library named after Dr Ambedkar is reprehensible. The rally also demanded awareness campaigns and strict enforcement of anti-discrimination policies in the university. The protest was also supported by other student organisations. The Students Federation of India (SFI) JNU unit took part in the rally and strongly condemned the “open casteism” in the library. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) also submitted a complaint to the chief librarian and demanded immediate administrative action. JNUSU joint secretary Vaibhav Meena said in a statement that such narrow-mindedness has no place in the temple of knowledge and all students must unite and reject it. Many users reacted sharply to the incident on social media, especially on Twitter. Users shared pictures of abusive words written on the table and criticised the silence on Dalit issues in society. Many posts expressed anger over how such an act could happen in a library named after Ambedkar. BAPSA shared videos and pictures of the rally from its official handle, with their message clear: “We will not remain silent.” Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
Breaking Barriers: Karnataka’s First Transgender Heavy Vehicle Driver
She is already a well-known transgender rights activist and the founder of the Anita Humanitarian Foundation, an organization dedicated to social upliftment. But that’s not all. In a city where heavy vehicles are almost always associated with men behind the wheel, a transgender woman has made history. Anita Prasad, from Mysuru, has become the first transgender person in Karnataka to receive a heavy vehicle driving license. Her achievement isn’t just about driving a lorry or bus; it’s a powerful statement about equality and inclusion in a sector where gender stereotypes have long reigned. Anita’s journey goes far beyond transportation. She is already a well-known transgender rights activist and the founder of the Anita Humanitarian Foundation, an organization dedicated to social upliftment. But that’s not all. She also heads Vistaric Robotics Company, proving her versatility and determination to push boundaries in innovation as well as social change. For someone who could have stopped at one breakthrough, Anita has instead chosen to straddle industries, from robotics labs to transport depots. A Transport Dream With a Purpose Her next mission is to create opportunities where few exist. Anita is preparing to launch a transport and logistics company that will run services on the Bengaluru–Belagavi route. What makes this unique is her commitment to employing transgender individuals and women as drivers and support staff. By doing this, she aims to carve out respectable and stable jobs for communities that often face prejudice and exclusion. The transport industry in India is largely male-dominated, and women drivers are still treated as exceptions. For transgender people, the barriers are even higher. Anita’s initiative is designed not just to run buses and trucks, but to rewrite the rules of who belongs on the road. Three Months to Take Off The company is expected to be operational within three months, Anita says. She is already working on partnerships with organizations that can help support the venture and create training pipelines. Safety and reliability will be at the heart of the service, she promises, but equally important is the mission to build careers for those who have been systematically left out. Her plan includes identifying marginalized transgender people, helping them secure the proper documents, and providing skill development so they can qualify for employment. By doing so, she hopes to dismantle one of the biggest barriers: lack of access to formal identification and training. Anita’s new license may look like a small piece of laminated plastic, but it represents a much larger struggle and victory. In a country where many still react with surprise when they see women at the wheel of an autorickshaw or a bus, this milestone has the potential to inspire others. It sends a message that opportunities in transport and in life are not limited by gender identity. For Mysuru, Karnataka, and India as a whole, Anita’s story is not just about one woman driving heavy vehicles. It is about steering society toward broader horizons of acceptance, dignity, and equality. Curated By : News Desk Courtesy : News18
Basti, a minor girl was gang-raped after being locked in a room, beaten and thrown out, boys from another community accused
Basti news: Three youths from another community gang-raped a minor Dalit girl in Basti. The accused beat her up and threw her out of the house threatening to kill her. A very disgusting incident has come to light from Basti in Uttar Pradesh, which has created a stir in the entire area. Here, a minor Dalit girl was gang-raped by three boys from another community after being locked in a room. Here, the accused beat up the victim and threw her out threatening to kill her. The pain of the victim did not end here, when she reached the police station with a complaint, the policemen made her run for half an hour saying that she will be there for ten minutes. When the leaders of Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh started a protest against this incident, then a case could be registered against the accused. Police teams have been formed to arrest the accused. Minor kidnapped and gangraped The incident is from a village in Sonha police station area where three boys from the Muslim community of the village gangraped a minor girl. The victim’s mother told in the complaint that on August 16 at 9:00 am, her daughter was going to the grocery store when the accused kidnapped her by closing her mouth and raped her in turns for 3 hours. During this time, the accused kept guarding the room by locking it so that no one could find out. When the family members searched for the daughter, they came to know about the entire incident. The accused beat up the victim badly and threw her out of the house threatening to kill her. Hindu organizations protested After the case came to light, Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh reached the police station and registered a complaint of the victim’s family. District President of the Mahasangh, Akhilesh Kumar Singh said that this is the situation when the government claims about the safety of daughters in Uttar Pradesh. But the reality is that daughters are being brutalized openly. After taking action, the police is trying to suppress the case. The police has registered a complaint in this case. Additional Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Singh said that on the basis of the application, a case has been registered against the accused and action is being taken to arrest them. The victim will be given a medical checkup. The police has gone to the village for investigation. The accused will not be spared. By: Satish Shrivastava Courtesy: Hindi News
Suspicious death of Dalit youth: Suicide note makes serious allegations including police beating and casteist slurs
Victim made serious allegations of beating, casteist slurs and harassment against constable and PSI before his death, kin demand Rs 50 lakh compensation Chikkamagaluru. A 27-year-old Dalit youth from Samase village in Kalasa taluk of Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka committed suicide on Wednesday. In his suicide note, the deceased alleged that he was beaten and abused by a Kudremukh police employee. The deceased has been identified as Nagesh, a resident of Bastigadde. According to information, Nagesh had lodged a complaint against constable Siddesh at Kudremukh police station on July 15. The complaint alleged that Siddesh thrashed him and made casteist remarks. According to the complaint, the incident took place around 10:30 pm when Nagesh was returning in his autorickshaw. On the way, he saw Siddesh and two locals standing on the road, whose car was blocking the way. As it was dark, Nagesh moved ahead with his mobile phone torch light. Siddesh suspected that Nagesh was clicking pictures of them while drinking alcohol, following which he allegedly thrashed and abused him. Family members say that instead of taking action on Nagesh’s complaint, the police registered a case against him for obstructing government work. The police had seized his autorickshaw and pesticide spray machine. Though he later got bail, he was unable to release his vehicle due to financial constraints and also feared further police harassment. In the suicide note, Nagesh accused constable Siddesh of torturing him and also named PSI Aadarsh, alleging that they did not take any action on his complaint. Family members and locals staged a protest after Nagesh’s death. They demanded that Siddesh and Aadarsh be dismissed from service and a compensation of Rs 50 lakh be given to the victim’s family. However, the police have started investigating the case. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit student Somnath Suryavanshi custodial death: Bombay High Court orders to form SIT, will the secrets of police torture be revealed?
Bombay High Court’s big decision in the case of suspicious custodial death of Dalit law student Somnath Suryavanshi, order to investigate by forming SIT. Aurangabad – The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) within a week to investigate the suspicious custodial death of Dalit law student Somnath Suryavanshi. This order was passed orally by a division bench of Justice Vibha Kankanwadi and Justice Sanjay A. Deshmukh. The court clarified that the inquiry committee appointed earlier by the state government will be dissolved and all documents related to it will now be handed over to the new SIT. The bench said, “If the petitioner Vijayabai Venkata Suryavanshi has any objection to the members of the SIT, she can register it before the court.” Petitioner’s allegation This interim order was given on the petition of Somnath’s 61-year-old mother Vijayabai Suryavanshi. He alleged that his son was illegally detained and brutally tortured in police custody during a peaceful demonstration in Parbhani in December 2024. Later, the authorities tried to hush up the case by calling his death a heart attack. Somnath, a final year law student from Latur and belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, was arrested while recording on camera a protest against the desecration of the replica of the Constitution near the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar in Parbhani. FIR and Supreme Court proceedings On July 4, 2025, the High Court directed the Parbhani police to register an FIR within a week. The court had said that prima facie evidence of custodial torture and violation of fundamental rights exists. After this, on July 30, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of the Maharashtra government, which challenged the High Court’s order to register an FIR. Custodial torture and death The petition said Somnath was illegally arrested despite peacefully recording the protest while carrying a copy of the Constitution. After being produced before a magistrate on December 12, 2024, he was handed over two days of police custody during which he was brutally beaten. His condition deteriorated further when he was produced before a magistrate again on December 14. He was then sent to judicial custody, where he suddenly died at 6:49 am on December 15. While the police attributed the cause of death to chest pain, the postmortem report of a seven-member medical team cited 24 serious injuries and stated the cause of death as “shock resulting from multiple injuries”. Alleged bargaining attempt The petitioner alleged that upon reaching Parbhani, he was taken to the IG by police officer Ashok Ghorband, where he was told that other sons of the family could be given police jobs and was asked not to file a complaint in exchange for Rs 50 lakh. Also, he was advised to perform the last rites in Latur. But he turned down these proposals and demanded that his son’s death be registered as a custodial murder. Court’s strict comment The High Court said that the judicial inquiry conducted under Section 196 of the Indian Civil Security Code (BNSS) found serious human rights violations and the death was directly linked to custodial beating. The court reprimanded the state government and said, “When the constitutional rights of a person are violated while in custody, this court cannot remain a silent spectator.” The bench also questioned the delay of the CID and the credibility of the internal investigation. The court said that the CID tried to get a second opinion from JJ Hospital, Mumbai by bypassing the doctors who conducted the postmortem, which casts doubt on the investigation. Order of SIT inquiry The court directed to register an FIR on the basis of the petitioner’s complaint lodged on December 18, 2024 and get the case investigated by a Deputy Superintendent of Police under the SIT. Also, CID officer D.B. The earlier order restraining Talpe from filing the final report has now been revoked. Welcoming the decision, advocate Hitendra Gandhi, appearing for the petitioner, said, “The order to form an SIT in the case of Somnath Suryavanshi’s death is a big step towards justice. We hope that the SIT will conduct an impartial investigation and bring out the truth and the culprits will be punished.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Punjab’s inter-caste marriage horror: Dalit family evicted from village, house vandalised and looted
After an inter-caste marriage in Muktsar’s Eena Kheda village, a Dalit family had to leave the village, house vandalised and looted. Police arrested three people. Bathinda: A Dalit family of Eena Kheda village in Muktsar district of Punjab has been living outside the village for the past one month after their son’s inter-caste marriage. The family alleges that the house was vandalised and looted in their absence, which is being done by the girl’s relatives. 22-year-old Surinder Singh, who belongs to the Dalit community, married an 18-year-old Jat Sikh girl from his own village on July 7. The marriage took place at a gurdwara in Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) and both of them also received a legal marriage certificate. But this marriage spread tension in the village, as earlier the Panchayat had passed a resolution opposing ‘marriages within the same village’. Surinder’s father Malkit Singh, an Amritdhari Granthi, and his uncle Gurmeet Singh, a painter by profession, said they had to leave the village and take shelter with relatives after their son and daughter-in-law eloped and got married. They allege that a few days later, a group led by the girl’s family broke into their house, broke things and stole things. When they returned home, they were abused with casteist slurs. The family has filed a police complaint and demanded justice. “The village panchayat may oppose our son’s return, but that does not mean we have to suffer humiliation and violence,” Malkit Singh said. Police action Malout DSP Iqbal Singh Sandhu said action was taken after receiving a complaint on Friday. Police arrested three people, including the girl’s father and brother, under Section 126/170 of the BNSS as a precautionary measure. “We are taking steps to prevent the situation from worsening and turning into a full-blown caste conflict,” he said. This incident has come to light after the case when on July 29, the mother of a youth was also attacked in Ghal Kalan village of Moga district because her son had married a girl from the same village. In that case, the Punjab State Women Commission had taken cognizance and an FIR was registered against many accused including the village sarpanch. Opposition to marriages in the same village increased Panchayats of many villages in Punjab have passed resolutions in recent months opposing marriages taking place in the same village. Panchayats justify this by citing social tradition and pressure on the community. However, rights activists and legal experts are calling these resolutions unconstitutional and discriminatory. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News