Yadgi, 3 August

Members of the Dalit community from Shakhapur village in Shorapur taluk, Yadgir district, have claimed they were assaulted and threatened with social boycott by upper caste villagers after refusing to dig a grave for a funeral.

According to residents, four days ago, an upper-caste person in the village passed away. As per local custom, members of the Dalit community were asked to dig the burial pit. When they declined, they were allegedly asked, "How dare you refuse?" and attacked.

Complainant Devappa Talawara, 38, has told police that on 1 August, at around 9:30 AM, he, his wife Lalita, mother-in-law Bhimavva, sister Siddamma and aunt Gangamma were abused by a group using casteist slurs and assaulted with stones and sticks, sustaining injuries as a result. The accused also allegedly threatened them, saying if they refused to dig graves again, they would not be spared. 

Shorapur police have registered a case against 17 people under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Mallikarjun Kranti, State Organising Secretary, Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (DSS), said, "Even today, our community continues to face oppression and discrimination in rural areas. Forcing us to dig graves and threatening to ostracise us if we refuse is completely unacceptable. Where is the law? When will we get equality and dignity?"