1. Caste System Playing It’s “Role”
Of A Discriminator In Yet Another
Village
- Ankit Varma

2. India is a land of diversities
• A nuclear power which worships snakes, the largest English
speaking nation with a disappointingly low literacy rate of
74%.
• Though we are the world’s largest democracy, our society
continues to remain divided along religion and caste.
• The caste system in its current form undermines the unity of
the society and results in alienation of certain portions of our
society.
• Humiliation and discrimination are not just long words; it’s a
way of life for millions across the country.

3. Bhagna, the village of divisions!
• The nondescript village of Bhagna, half-an-hour away from
the district headquarters at Hisar in Haryana tells another
story of caste divide.
• On 20th May, 70 Dalit families decided to sit on an indefinite
dharna demanding prosecution of members of upper caste
under the schedule caste/schedule tribe act.
• The reason, extension of house on portion of community land
by a family of chamar community was termed as
encroachment and issue was taken up by the village
panchayat.

4. • The root cause of the friction was because the court passed
against the construction activity undertaken by the Dalit
family.
• The village panchayat ordered construction of a wall around
the disputed piece of land blocking access to the house of the
Dalit family.
• The Dalit community has accused the village panchayat of
foul play.
• This has only reinforced the divide among the communities.

5. Dalits Vs Jats
• Members of the Dalit community allege that this was not the
first incident of caste based discrimination in recent years.
• Last year around 220 acres of panchayat land was distributed
illegally to the villagers.
• Although promised 100 square yards under the Mahatma
Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana of the Haryana government,
they were given away smaller plots.
• Jats, on the other hand, were allotted land in proportion to
their existing holdings.

6. • Dalit families were also charged Rs.1000 for registration
while it was done free of cost for the Jats.
• The deputy commissioner has declared the whole process
illegal.
• Although a complicit in the illegal land distribution, Dalits
launched a complaint only in December when they realized
that they were being duped and will loose the portion of
panchayat land being used by dalit kids.
• In many such incidents, the negotiations were not very
successful.

7. No truce!
• Questions have also been raised on the leadership heading
the Dalit protest.
• Three men Balraj Saatrodiya, Virendra Bhagoria and Vedpal
Tanwar have been accused of acting on political stimulus to
score brownie points with the Dalits of the region.
• Responding to the allegations they have put the blame on
the government for dragging its feet on the matter.

8. • Deputy Commissioner Agrawal has expressed his concern on
the matter and has appealed to both the communities to
come up with a solution acceptable to all the stake holders.
• Many Jat families are of the opinion that had the police not
been stationed there to maintain the law and order situation,
Dalits would have enacted a Mirchpur-like incident by
burning their own house.

9. • Read detailed report on Caste System Playing It’s “Role” Of A
Discriminator InYet Another Village on http://bit.ly/MJMIOy