Men From Higher Caste Beat Dalit Family Cultivating Field, Snatch Seeds

In an incident that has, once again, raised troubling questions about caste violence and land rights in rural India, a Dalit family has been brutally attacked with sticks while cultivating land they claim belongs to them. 

On Friday, members of the family were sowing seeds in their land in Narayanpura village of Madhya Pradesh's Lateri tehsil when some people, allegedly from the Gurjar community, attacked them. The men not only beat up members of the family, including two women, but also snatched their soybean seeds and sowed them in their own field.

Four people, including the women, suffered serious injuries and were admitted to the Lateri Government Hospital. A video of the attack has gone viral, triggering outrage and an attack on the government from the opposition. 

The victims, from the Ahirwar community, say the assault was unprovoked and targeted. Bhagwat Singh Ahirwar, who is among the injured, said, "We were sowing seeds on our own land when Murari, Hansraj, Gudda, Parvat, and Bunty came and started beating us. They hit the women too. They took away our seeds and later sowed them in their field as if to assert their dominance."

Authorities have said a portion of the land in question could be government property, and that may have led to a dispute. The Ahirwar family, however, said the land legally belongs to them and that they were repeatedly pressured by the accused not to cultivate it. 

Vidisha Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani said: "There was a dispute between two parties. We are investigating based on the medical report. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty."

The Congress has slammed the ruling BJP government and called the attack another example of rising atrocities against Dalits in Madhya Pradesh. District Congress President Mohit Raghuvanshi said, "This is not just a land issue - it is caste oppression. The Dalit family was cultivating their own land when they were attacked. The Congress stands with the victims and demands immediate arrest of the culprits."

Vidisha Collector Anshul Gupta also hinted that part of the land may be government-owned. "The ongoing case between two parties would be decided expeditiously and no encroachment on government land will be allowed by anyone," he said.