Caste clash erupts in Hassan after Dalits fetch water from public tank

Hassan: While the Indian constitution may have bestowed equal human rights to all individuals, the practice of not allowing entry to Dalits in temples is still prevalent in several parts of the country. In Hassan, a marriage ritual turned ghastly for the relatives of the to-be-married Dalit youth who required some water to be drawn from the public tank situated opposite the Eshwar temple.

The incident took place on Tuesday, December 4  at Hirekadluru village when relatives of the groom Pradeep were allegedly attacked by the upper caste people for fetching water for marriage rituals from the tank.

The public tank from which the Dalits fetched water was meant for cattle and built at a cost of ₹42,000 under MNREGA.

Following the attack, the Dalit youths tried to attack the upper caste members. Four people, including three women, suffered minor injuries in this attack. However, the police who had rushed to the village and brought the situation under control.

An FIR has been registered under the relevant sections of SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, besides other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Suresh, a resident of the village, whose mother and brother are among the accused informed that Dalits are facing social boycott after the incident. The upper caste members of the village are refusing to sell groceries to the Dalit families. 

Following the incident, the district administration held a peace meeting in the village on Wednesday, December 5.