Three members of a Dalit household were gunned down and a couple of others sustained grievous injuries in Madhya Pradesh
This occurred during a dispute regarding a woman in this tribal-dominated district’s Deoran village within Damoh (Rural) Police Station limits.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the loss of life, it was officially learned.
The tragic incident assumed political hues with Congress state President and erstwhile chief minister Kamal Nath demanding a high-level inquiry into the triple homicide. Those hurt were rushed to the District Hospital even as senior law-enforcement officers led a force to the scene. Collector S Krishna Chaitanya and IG (Sagar Zone) A Kumar visited the spot. According to SP Daluram Teniwar, “The families of Jagdeesh Patel and Ghamandi Ahirwar faced off and Patel’s side opened fire. Consequently, Ghamandi (60), his spouse Rampyari (58) and their son Manak Lal (32) perished on the spot while other sons Babloo (28) and Mahesh (30) were injured.”
The perpetrators include Jagdeesh, Saurabh, Maneesh, Shubham, Kodu and Ghanshyam who have been also charged under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Prime accused Jagdeesh was placed under arrest but the others were absconding at the time of filing of this report. Sagar Divisional Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Shukla gathered inputs regarding encroachment on government and other land by the accused.
It is said Dalits are the most ill-treated people in India. Historically, Dalits lived on the outskirts of civilization, worked as bonded laborers, and lacked access to basic amenities. They were denied access to water, land, and education. They had limited access to doctors and healers. According to research, socioeconomic discrimination affects health outcomes in three ways- 1) health status, 2) quality of healthcare services, and 3) healthcare access.[13] The inequalities in health created by the caste system are prominent even today.
Dalit Women are the most ill-treated in the world and around 80 million Dalit women in India faced sexual violence. About ten Dalit women are raped every day.
There are three states leading in the case of Dalit oppression – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Half the cases in all these states are of Dalit only. According to a 2006 survey, 500 Dalit women constitute 54% of the four states in India in forms of violence.
Dalits are daily attacked, they face sexual harassment, domestic violence, rape and abuse, and Dalit women have to bear the brunt of violence of all castes including their caste.