UP: Tension Brews in Kanpur After 'Upper Caste' People Attack Dalits on Buddha Katha

Lucknow: Members of the dalit community at Pahewa village in Kanpur’s Ghatampur area have accused “members of the upper caste” of attacking and ill-treating them when they were asleep at the venue of the 'Buddha Katha' programme and vandalised a statue of Sant Ravidas.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on Monday night when a group of eight people opened fire and hurled bombs at people at a site where 'Buddha Katha' had been organised by the dalit community for the last three days. At least three people said to have been injured in the attack were admitted to a hospital in Kanpur.

Ram Sagar Paswan, an organiser of Katha, speaking to NewsClick, alleged that despite informing prior to police about the threat to the event and seeking police protection, police did not deploy police officials at the Katha site. 

"After the Katha ended late on Monday night, everyone went to their homes; a group of about fifteen people came in three separate cars armed with weapons came at around 2 o'clock in the night and opened fire and even hurled some crude bombs. They did not stop there. The upper caste attackers even dragged people who were sleeping under tents and beaten, and the entire site was vandalised. They came with the intention to kill us. They threatened dire consequences if we continue Buddha Katha," Paswan, on whose complaint the FIR was registered, told NewsClick. 

Paswan further said, "They damaged the statue of Sant Ravidas. The venue was completely destroyed by breaking the chairs and tables kept there and tearing the literature. They also stole money, some electronic items, cash and a copy of the Constitution. People of the dalit community somehow saved their lives by running away.” 

The police, taking cognisance of the complaint, registered an FIR at Gadh police station. The accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), covering offences such as rioting, assault, defiling a place of worship or sacred object, outraging religious feelings, causing hurt, and using abusive language. Additionally, they face charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Five persons from an upper-caste community were arrested a day after the incident, and an investigation is underway. The accused were identified as Golu Mishra, Chandra Bhan Mishra, Jeetu Mishra, Shivam Mishra, Kinnar Mishra, Vishambhar Mishra, Arun Kotedar, and Manish Tiwari, police said on Tuesday.

Two dalit men are currently receiving medical treatment for the injuries sustained during the attack while the community grapples with the shocking act of caste-based violence that has shaken the state.

Two battalions of PAC and police forces have been deployed in large numbers to keep vigil in the area.

Dinesh Kumar Shukla, Ghatampur ACP, said, “By the time we reached the site, the attackers had left.  An FIR has been registered on the complaint of Ram Sagar Paswan against eight people. They have been accused of violence, vandalism, dacoity and attempt to murder, and also charged under the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.”

Police have also registered a case against MLA Saroj Kuril’s PRO, Manish Tiwari and eight others. 

When asked why no prior security was deployed despite requesting protection from the organiser, the police refused to comment. 

How Situation Unfolded

The nine-day Buddha Katha event is organised every year in Pahewa village of Ghatampur for the past several years. This year too it has been going on since December 15.

Ram Sagar Paswan, along with others, had informed the district administration even before the Katha started that upper-caste people could attack them, but the police did not take note of it. The dalit community members NewsClick spoke to said that members of upper caste communities had earlier put pressure on them not to organise the Buddha Katha event. 

"Despite their threat to not organise the event, we decided to go ahead with our programme as we organise once a year. We have been organising this event for many years. We also informed the upper caste people if they have any objections, they can have a discussion with us instead of threatening us, but nobody from them came as they had planned to attack us," Sagar told NewsClick. 

Contradicting the dalit members' claims, Chandra Bhan Mishra, one of the accused named in the FIR, said that a complaint was filed on December 16 with the Ghatampur sub-divisional magistrate, urging him not to allow the event this year due to anti-Hindu rituals.

According to the complaint filed by Mishra, the upper caste people of the village had been opposing the Baudh Katha in which the Dalits make an effigy of a Brahmin, tie a garland of shoes on it and drag it in the entire village. This year, they warned the Dalit community to be prepared to face consequences if they organised such an event.

Following the incident, tension prevailed among the dalit community. However, the district officials assured the villagers of installing a new statue of Sant Ravidas. 

Dhaniram Boudh, President of Indian Dalit Panther, appealed to the district administration to book all the accused under Section 307 of IPC.