New Delhi: In yet another caste-based incident of violence in Gujarat, a Dalit youth was beaten up by a group of upper caste men in Sabarkantha district of the state allegedly for uploading on his social media account his picture wearing a traditional headgear (safa) and sunglasses.
This is not the first case in Gujarat where a Dalit has been beaten up for wearing sunglasses. In June 2023, a 21-year-old Dalit youth and his family were allegedly assaulted by the upper caste Rajput community members for purportedly wearing sunglasses and good clothes. The incident had taken place at Mota village in Palampur.
A first information report (FIR) was lodged by the Dalit youth, Jigarbhai Chanukah Shekhaliya, at the Gadh police station at Banaskantha area of the state.
As per news reports, the latest incident occured with a 24-year-old Dalit youth in Sayebapur village of Sabarkantha district’s Himatnagar taluka on July 17.
The youth, Ajay Parmar, a three-wheeler driver, said in his FIR filed on July 18 that he was beaten up by four men belonging to the Darbar community who consider themselves upper caste Kshatriyas.
The accused allegedly started beating Parmar near Navanagar bus stand for uploading his DP (display photo) on his Instagram account wearing sunglasses and a safa.
“They told me that only people from the Darbar community can wear safa and sunglasses. They beat me up and told me to remove the picture,” Parmar told Deccan Herald.
He said a group of men also slapped him later at his village for the same reason. The news report said their family is the only Dalit family residing amidst the Darbar community in that village.
The FIR has named four accused — Kirpalsinh Rathod, Manusinh Rathod and his son, Hitendrasinh Rathod and Shukalsinh Rathod.
Parmar told the newspaper that his father called the local police to save him from the group that had reached their house but the police arrived at the spot an hour later. The report quoted Sanjay Goswami, the police sub-inspector with Himatnagar rural police station, saying that the accused have fled the village. “We are investigating the case,” he said.
In November 2023, a 21-year-old Dalit youth was assaulted in that state for asking his salary to his employer, a businesswoman. The youth had said in his police complaint that he was made to apologise by holding her footwear in his mouth.
In February this year, a Dalit groom was assaulted by four persons in Gandhinagar district for riding a horse as part of his wedding procession to the bride’s house.
Several such caste-based atrocities have been reported regularly from the western state. In June last year, a Dalit youth had succumbed to his injuries after an upper caste hotel manager had beaten him up following an argument over ordering food.
