Cremation ground divided on caste lines, probe ordered
A barbed wire was set up across a cremation ground, dividing it into two — one portion for the upper castes and the other for lower castes. The administration later removed the wire. The ‘division’ was done in the Banail village with the ‘consent’ of Dalits who even contributed to the cost of the fencing.
Ved Priya Arya, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Shikarpur, under whose jurisdiction the village lies, said, “We got to know and have ordered an inquiry into the matter.”
Block Development Officer, Ghanshyam Verma, too, said that action would be taken in the matter.
“We will initiate action against whoever did this,” he said.
Two days ago, the fence was finally brought down.
For years, the Dalits in the village, who make up about 20 percent of the population, were not allowed to use the cremation ground which was exclusively meant for upper castes.
In 2018, the government built a concrete structure around it.
“It started being used by Dalits as well but this did not go down well with the upper caste members who made the Dalits agree to a division in December last year,” said a local source.
So far, there has been no FIR because there has been no complaint.
