Jaipur: Attacks on Dalit weddings and cases of Dalit grooms being taken off mare are still eminent in Rajasthan. Rajasthan police data tells that 76 FIRs were lodged of such incidents in the state in the last 8 years and 80 per cent of them were found to be true. Looking at the situation the police had to issue a special order recently to give full police protection to such weddings.
There were some recent cases of attacks on Dalit weddings and when police collected the data of such cases from all the districts, it was found that in the last 8 years 76 cases of attacks and grooms being taken off the mare were registered in police stations and out of these 62 were found to be true and 4 are under investigation. Police have arrested 381 people in connection with these cases and 24 are yet to be arrested.
The practice was found more prevalent in the Udaipur division where 23 cases of such incidents were registered. Udaipur division is the tribal belt of the state. Though there are 18 districts where no such cases were reported. Social activist Kamal Tak said, "Not registering the case does not mean that such incidents are not happening there as the mentality of cast inequality is there in the minds of the people."
It is to note that the Rajasthan police have recently issued a circular to all districts to give full protection to Dalit weddings and makes it mandatory to register FIRs in such cases without any delay and the accused must be arrested quickly. ADG police Ravi Prakash has said in the circular that there is a spurt in such cases in some of the districts and the police must give protection to Dalit weddings.
While Kamal Tak said that the law alone cannot do anything in these incidents. "We have to change the mentality and for this, a strong relationship and constant dialogue are needed."
Total FIRs from January 2012 till date - 76
Charge sheet filed by Police- 62
Arrests- 381
Most number of registered cases -11 in Udaipur district
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