Dalit men forced to crawl for 2 km, eat grass and drink drainage water in Odisha’s Ganjam district
Two Dalit men were subjected to physical and mental torture by a group of people in Kharigumma village under Dharakote police station of Ganjam district in south Odisha on Sunday.
The victims, Bulu Nayak and Babula Nayak (both in their 40s) of Singipur village of Dharakote block, were returning home after buying three cows as part of the dowry arrangement for their daughter’s marriage when they were stopped by the mob.
The assailants accused them of smuggling cattle and demanded money. Upon refusal, both the persons were allegedly assaulted, and their heads were tonsured partially. Shockingly, both were forced to crawl on their knees for nearly two kilometres from Kharigumma to Jahada. The victims were also made to eat grass and drink drainage water.
The incident evoked chilling memories of caste-based humiliation and mob vigilantism in many parts of the country in recent years, especially after cow protection became a political issue.
Though in Odisha such issues were hardly happening, the Dharakote incident may get a political colour, as it came after the BJP came to power for the first time in the state a year ago.
In Ganjam district, in the 2024 general election, the BJP had won both Lok Sabha seats as well as all assembly segments except those of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik—Odisha’s longest-serving chief minister from 2000 to 2024—and Congress’s Ramesh Jena. The latest incident of Dalit atrocity has occurred in Jena’s constituency.
Of late, the Ganjam district has been in the news for incidents of crime. The recent gang-rape of a 20-year-old college student on June 15 at Gopalpur Beach, a famous centre of tourist attraction, had drawn national attention. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi condemned it, accusing the state government of failing to ensure the safety of women. The AICC sent a team to the district. The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought a report from the Odisha government. Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who holds the tourism portfolio, has now said key tourism sites will soon see increased security deployment, technological surveillance and regular patrols to deter criminal activity.
In the Goplapur incident, the victim was with her male friend when she was attacked and gang-raped. Ten accused have been arrested in the case.
The latest incident in Dharakote has also raised questions about the law and order situation in the state. Both the men have filed a written complaint, and the local police have admitted them to hospital for treatment, as they had suffered injuries.
Police have started a formal investigation into the incident which sparked a social media outrage and calls for swift legal action. Civil society groups also condemned the incident and demanded swift action against the perpetrators.
India