In one more shocking incident of attack on a dalit boy by upper caste members in Gujarat, a video of youths from upper caste beating a dalit boy has gone viral on social media in the state.
The video, stated to be from Vithlapur village in Mandal of Ahmedabad district, shows a couple of darbar youth (Rajputs) beating a 15-year-old dalit boy, apparently for "dressing up like members of upper caste community".
The youngsters began beating the boy, verbally abusing him with casteist slurs and hurling abuses for daring to show himself as a 'darbar' (kshatriya).
They are seen asking the dalit boy to fall at their feet and seek forgiveness, as well as beat him with sticks and kicking him fervently. They also pick him up and throw him on the ground, before the boy manages to run for life.
"I was sitting with my friends at Bechraji when we were approached by few youths who asked me my caste. When I told them that I am from a dalit community, they asked me how dare I dress like an upper caste and why am I wearing a gold chain? When I asked what is wrong with that, they asked me to accompany them on a motorcycle. They took me some distance away and began beating me black and blue,” Mahesh, the dalit boy said.
Mahesh said that he had not seen the youngsters in the village earlier and did not know them.
Gujarat has been witnessing a series of attacks on dalit youths by members of upper castes, with notable ones being the incident of Una in Saurashtra, where four dalit youths were publicly flogged and paraded by self-appointed cow protection group members.
Since then several incidents of beating dalits, be it for keeping a moustache, adding 'sinh' to the surname or even rag-picking, have been recorded and made viral on social media.
"Most of the people from dalit communities living in and around Vithlapur travel to Bechraji for work. It is there that the boy was picked and beaten up. It has been over 30 hours and despite having spoken to police, they are yet to file a complaint," Kirit Rathod, a social activist working for dalits said.
"I am in Vithlapur to convince the family members of Mahesh to file a complaint and tell them not to be scared. If they do not, I would file a police complaint on their behalf," Rathod said.