This month, Maharashtra was outraged by the story of Nitin Aage, a 17-year-old dalit boy who was brutally murdered for talking to an upper-caste girl in Ahmednagar district. A team of activists is now trying to ensure that the police does not play down the caste angle during investigations.
But for every hate crime that is widely reported, there are several others that find little or no place in the mainstream media. In rural Maharashtra alone, at least four other cases of atrocities against dalits were registered in the past two months, of which three were fatal.
“In almost all these cases, the perpetrators came in large groups to attack individual dalits, and seemed to have no fear of being identified,” said Shyam Sonar, a member of the Republican Panthers Jatiya Antachi Chalwal, an organisation that is keeping track of these cases. “The attackers seem confident that they are not likely to be caught or punished heavily.”
Here are the four cases that have taken place in different districts of Maharashtra since the beginning of April.
May 16, Gondia district: Dalit man burnt alive
On the night of May 16, when 48-year-old Sanjay Khobragade was asleep in Godia’s Kawalewada village, a group of six or seven people entered his home, doused him with petrol and set him on fire. Khobragade was a Neo-Buddhist dalit who, for several months, had been leading efforts to build a Buddha Vihara in the district on a plot of land allotted by the panchayat. His family believes that dispute over the land led to the attack, since the panchayat had allegedly demanded the land back and Khobragade had received a few threats.
Khobragade suffered 94% burns and after two days in a local hospital, was transferred to a hospital in Nagpur. He succumbed to his injuries on May 23, but before dying, managed to give a statement to the police and the media, asserting that he was set on fire by members of a dominant caste in his village and that the attack was motivated by caste.
The police initially registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested six people, but they were released two days later. According to reports, the police now suspect Khobragade’s wife Devkabai and her alleged lover of committing the murder, and have detained her for questioning.
May 15, Jalgaon district: Wedding party attacked for playing Ambedkar songs
At a Neo-Buddhist wedding function in Bodwad village on May 15, while guests were celebrating with songs about dalit leader Babasaheb Ambedkar, around 100 members of the dominant Maratha and Mali castes broke in and began attacking the revellers. While some guests rushed to call the police, dalits from neighbouring villages came in to help take injured victims to the hospital.
Activists claim that the assailants had taken issue with the choice of the songs being played. The police has arrested 14 people, charging them under the caste atrocities act. However, the police has also claimed that the situation between the different communities has been tense for a week, because some dalit boys allegedly harassed women from the upper-caste community. The boys have also been charged with assault of women. “As with every instance of caste atrocities, there is political pressure here too, and the counter-case is a clear attempt to weaken the case of the Dalits,” said Shyam Sonar.
April 25, Aurangabad district: Dalit youth killed and dumped in a well
Last month, Umesh Agle, a labourer in his early 20s from the Matang caste of dalits, paid with his life for getting into a fight with youths from the dominant Maratha community in Aurangabad’s Devpul village. On the night of April 25, four or five Maratha men came to Agle’s house and told his mother that they wanted to talk to him outside. Agle left with them but did not return. His body was found in a well the next day, with broken limbs and knife wounds. While the men identified by Agle’s family have been arrested and booked under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the alleged masterminds are still absconding.
April 3, Jalna district: Dalit sarpanch beaten to death
Manoj Kasab, a member of the Matang community and the sarpanch of Nanegaon village, was beaten to death on the night of April 3 by a group of men from a dominant caste. While his brother, who was also attacked, suffered a leg injury, Kasab’s wounds proved fatal. For several days before the attack, he had been in the midst of a dispute with fellow villagers over a local matter. According to a news report, the previous sarpanch, Ganesh Chavan, was trying to hinder Kasab’s work. The police has made 10 arrests under the caste atrocities act.
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But for every hate crime that is widely reported, there are several others that find little or no place in the mainstream media. In rural Maharashtra alone, at least four other cases of atrocities against dalits were registered in the past two months, of which three were fatal.
“In almost all these cases, the perpetrators came in large groups to attack individual dalits, and seemed to have no fear of being identified,” said Shyam Sonar, a member of the Republican Panthers Jatiya Antachi Chalwal, an organisation that is keeping track of these cases. “The attackers seem confident that they are not likely to be caught or punished heavily.”
Here are the four cases that have taken place in different districts of Maharashtra since the beginning of April.
May 16, Gondia district: Dalit man burnt alive
On the night of May 16, when 48-year-old Sanjay Khobragade was asleep in Godia’s Kawalewada village, a group of six or seven people entered his home, doused him with petrol and set him on fire. Khobragade was a Neo-Buddhist dalit who, for several months, had been leading efforts to build a Buddha Vihara in the district on a plot of land allotted by the panchayat. His family believes that dispute over the land led to the attack, since the panchayat had allegedly demanded the land back and Khobragade had received a few threats.
Khobragade suffered 94% burns and after two days in a local hospital, was transferred to a hospital in Nagpur. He succumbed to his injuries on May 23, but before dying, managed to give a statement to the police and the media, asserting that he was set on fire by members of a dominant caste in his village and that the attack was motivated by caste.
The police initially registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested six people, but they were released two days later. According to reports, the police now suspect Khobragade’s wife Devkabai and her alleged lover of committing the murder, and have detained her for questioning.
May 15, Jalgaon district: Wedding party attacked for playing Ambedkar songs
At a Neo-Buddhist wedding function in Bodwad village on May 15, while guests were celebrating with songs about dalit leader Babasaheb Ambedkar, around 100 members of the dominant Maratha and Mali castes broke in and began attacking the revellers. While some guests rushed to call the police, dalits from neighbouring villages came in to help take injured victims to the hospital.
Activists claim that the assailants had taken issue with the choice of the songs being played. The police has arrested 14 people, charging them under the caste atrocities act. However, the police has also claimed that the situation between the different communities has been tense for a week, because some dalit boys allegedly harassed women from the upper-caste community. The boys have also been charged with assault of women. “As with every instance of caste atrocities, there is political pressure here too, and the counter-case is a clear attempt to weaken the case of the Dalits,” said Shyam Sonar.
April 25, Aurangabad district: Dalit youth killed and dumped in a well
Last month, Umesh Agle, a labourer in his early 20s from the Matang caste of dalits, paid with his life for getting into a fight with youths from the dominant Maratha community in Aurangabad’s Devpul village. On the night of April 25, four or five Maratha men came to Agle’s house and told his mother that they wanted to talk to him outside. Agle left with them but did not return. His body was found in a well the next day, with broken limbs and knife wounds. While the men identified by Agle’s family have been arrested and booked under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the alleged masterminds are still absconding.
April 3, Jalna district: Dalit sarpanch beaten to death
Manoj Kasab, a member of the Matang community and the sarpanch of Nanegaon village, was beaten to death on the night of April 3 by a group of men from a dominant caste. While his brother, who was also attacked, suffered a leg injury, Kasab’s wounds proved fatal. For several days before the attack, he had been in the midst of a dispute with fellow villagers over a local matter. According to a news report, the previous sarpanch, Ganesh Chavan, was trying to hinder Kasab’s work. The police has made 10 arrests under the caste atrocities act.
