J B S Umanadh, Hyderabad, Jan 2, DH News Service:
Caste war among villagers at Basampalli in the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh has led to denial of final rites for a Dalit farmer, whose body has begun to decompose awaiting cremation for the last two days.
Potla Ganganna (65) belonged to the Namdhari sect, considered lower rung even among the Dalits. After his death on December 30, his relatives took the body for cremation to the graveyard on the outskirts of Basampalli, but had to return without performing the final rites as the land was occupied by upper caste villagers.
The relatives then tried cremating Ganganna’s body at another graveyard, where people of another Dalit sect—Modikallu—took offence saying the cremation ground was closer to their home and a Namdhari funeral rites, noisy by tradition with sounding of drums and bells ringing, was a bad omen.
Tension broke out between the Namdharis the Modikallus, which led to the police being brought in to control the violence.
According to the village heads, the issue cropped up because the prime Panchayat land, allotted for the graveyard, has been encroached upon by upper caste political leaders.
But according to the Dalit elders, there was always friction between the Dalits and the upper caste in the village, especially during festivals and over water woes in the parched summer season.
As the warring goes on, the body of Ganganna, lying in his shanty for the last two days, has begun to decompose, posing severe health risks to both upper and lower castes alike.
The relatives then tried cremating Ganganna’s body at another graveyard, where people of another Dalit sect—Modikallu—took offence saying the cremation ground was closer to their home and a Namdhari funeral rites, noisy by tradition with sounding of drums and bells ringing, was a bad omen.
Tension broke out between the Namdharis the Modikallus, which led to the police being brought in to control the violence.
According to the village heads, the issue cropped up because the prime Panchayat land, allotted for the graveyard, has been encroached upon by upper caste political leaders.
But according to the Dalit elders, there was always friction between the Dalits and the upper caste in the village, especially during festivals and over water woes in the parched summer season.
As the warring goes on, the body of Ganganna, lying in his shanty for the last two days, has begun to decompose, posing severe health risks to both upper and lower castes alike.
Comments
Post a Comment