A day after their houses were burnt down by members of the dominant Thakur community, the Dalits of Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur are fearful and wonder “if they have to beg to survive”. After the Dalits objected to a procession led by Thakur youths on Friday, a rioting mob of about 3,000 people, allegedly members of the Thakur community, surrounded them from all sides, attacked them, and burnt over 60 houses in the Dalit settlement of Shabbirpur.
FIR registered
Senior Superintendent of Police in Saharanpur Subhash Chand Dubey, however, said the Dalits were the first to engage in stone pelting, which triggered the clash.
The police has filed three First Information Reports (FIRs) against Dalits and arrested 17 people — 12 members of the Dalit community and five members of the Thakur community — on charges of murder and arson. One Thakur youth Sumit Pundir died during the clash, apparently due to suffocation.
Complete destruction
A visit to the Shabbirpur village, where the Thakurs are in majority, reveals a sight of mayhem and complete destruction. The rioting mob burnt everything in sight. Most Dalits here are small farmers or daily wage labourers. Police have been deployed in large numbers.
Yashpal, a Dalit in his early 50s, who lost all his possessions, told The Hindu , “Be it a cot, a bed, gas cylinder, almirah, clothes, water pipes or the grain we had collected from our fields, every thing was burnt and destroyed when a mob of over 3,000 came from Simlana village. They did not spare even the salt or flour, and either spoilt it or threw it in the fire. Sixty houses were left with nothing.” He added, standing outside his house, which has only ashes inside the rooms, “Right now, we have nothing to eat. We are getting rice, flour and vegetables from nearby Dalit settlements.”
Amresh Rana, a Thakur from Shabbirpur, said, “The Dalits are lying. They started the clash and burnt their own houses. A large number of Thakurs have left the village fearing prosecution.”
SSP Dubey told The Hindu , “Forty people have been taken into custody for interrogation. If needed, we will file more FIRs.”
