Dalit groom barred from riding horse in MP village

Bhopal: A dalit groom was barred from riding horse by members of some upper caste families in a village in Madhya Pradesh, leading to tension in the area, police said on Tuesday.

However, the local administration as well as the police acted promptly to bring the situation under control.

The incident took place in the village of Badamallhar in Chhattarpur district late on Monday night.

According to the police, the groom, Ashok Ahirwar, was going in a procession by riding a horse as per custom of his society, to bride’s house in the village for their wedding.

Two members of a Thakur family in the village however allegedly asked him to get down the horse and walk to the girl’s house. They became violent when the members in the bridegroom party resisted their attempt to bar the groom from riding horse, leading to alleged scuffle between them. Police sources said women members of the upper caste family came out and allegedly started pelting stones at the bridegroom party.

Later, some members of the bridegroom party tipped the police on the incident and sought protection to conduct the marriage ceremony.

Local sub-divisional magistrate Rajiv Samdhia and local sub-divisional police officer Pramod Saraswat rushed to the spot along with police force and brought the situation under control.

“We resolved the problem and brought peace between the warring parties. Some people in the village had complained of nuisance by some drunken members in the bridegroom party and asked the groom to get down the horse and walk to the bride’s house, in protest.

The marriage ceremony was conducted in our presence”, Mr Saraswat said.