Secular Café Archive

A young Dalit man was killed recently in India for riding a horse by upper caste thugs due to a primitive feudalist mindset and conditioning . Lower caste people were and are still usually barred from horse riding as a symbol of their underprivileged status in Indian society.


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 549437.cms

However, police have detained one suspect based on Rathod’s complaint.

"Though his father alleged that horse riding was the main reason behind his murder, police are investigating various angles such as love affair. ..
We have detained Natubha Darbar, a resident of Timbi, as a suspect in the crime. Also, a person from Darbar community from Piparali village of Umrala taluka has been named as one of the suspects in the case,” said A M Saiyyed, deputy superintendent of police, ST/SC cell of Bhavnagar police."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 549437.cms

Dalits have been attacked on numerous occasions for riding horses, which is considered an exclusive privilege of the upper castes, and the horse is seen as a symbol of wealth and power.

In Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit groom was attacked by upper caste thugs for riding a horse, as part of marriage ceremony.

Due to relentless stone throwing, the police advised the groom to wear a helmet during the procession as a precautionary measure.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/d ... 198539.ece

In a similar incident in Haryana, a Dalit groom riding a horse was beaten up by upper caste rajputs . Three of the bride's family members who tried to intervene, was brutally beaten up and hospitalized.

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/0 ... _22028638/


India's famous Dalit leader, B.R.Ambedkar,author of the Indian constitution had converted to Buddhism in 14 october 1956 along with thousands of fellow dalits, leaving caste-ridden Hinduism racked by inequality and human rights violations.

Did it make any change in their situation?

Modi has not taken care to put down caste or religious atrocities energetically. He will likely pay for it in the next General election.

[quote=""Aupmanyav""]Did it make any change in their situation?[/quote]

Well, I have never heard of Dalit converts to buddhism, christianity or islam being attacked for their ethnicity till now.

[quote=""Aupmanyav""]
Modi has not taken care to put down caste or religious atrocities energetically. He will likely pay for it in the next General election.[/quote]

There has been a substantial rise in attacks on Dalits in BJP ruled states in India .

http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/n ... nst-dalits

Some of the friction in UP involves those who converted to Buddhism. That does not change their position in society.

[quote=""Aupmanyav""]Some of the friction in UP involves those who converted to Buddhism. That does not change their position in society.[/quote]

Most accounts I have read in newspapers talk about atrocities against the dalits, not buddhists.

Buddhists, muslims, christians are not part of the Hindu caste system.

I have also known of many buddhist, muslim and christian (former) dalits who have prospered and come up in life without any issues.

Buddhist dalits are considered to be better off in literacy than the average Hindu dalit.

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 141_1.html

I think you know that many dalits in UP have converted to Buddhism.

[quote=""Aupmanyav""]I think you know that many dalits in UP have converted to Buddhism.[/quote]

Many dalits have converted to Buddhism, Islam and Christianity and do not identify with Hinduism or the dalit identity anymore for social reasons.

The reports of atrocities in newspapers are those perpetrated against the Hindu dalits !