A video of a young man from Punjab being tied to a tree has gone viral on social media. Reports suggest the young man, identified as Bitta Singh, belongs to the Dalit community. Singh was beaten up by the accused. The incident took place on May 23 in Uddat Bhagatram village of district Mansa. While a section of the village did not agree that the issue was caste-based, Punjab Mazdoor Mukti Morcha has described the incident as against scheduled caste.
A SC youth was tied and thrashed with sticks by 3 Jatts for objecting to playing obscene songs in Punjab’s Mansa. The AAP govt is becoming severe everyday.
— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) May 31, 2022
End this caste-based apartheid. Awful. @UNWatch @OHCHRAsia @UN_HRC pic.twitter.com/XifaQn7u0R
Singh was admitted to the hospital, where he is getting treated for the injuries. Makhan Singh, who himself belongs to the Dalit community and is a member of the village panchayat, told BBC Punjabi that the incident was not caste-based but was a clash between two youths. “They have reached an agreement. Every section lives in communal harmony in this village,” he added.
In a statement, Bitta Singh said he was going to pay homage at a religious place (Dera) when he was dragged by a family with which he had an old feud. They allegedly tied him to a neem tree. The incident took place just 3KM away from a Police post. As soon as the Police received the information, they rushed to the spot.
Amrik Singh, in charge of Kot Dharmu police station, told BBC, “When we released the captive youth and took him to the police station, a mob arrived and forcibly snatched him away.” Singh added that a case had been registered against eight persons along with three unknown persons. The investigation is underway.
Notably, Singh denied allegations that it was a caste-based incident. He said, “The incident has nothing to do with Jats or Dalits. Some Dalit youths entered Lovepreet’s house over an old feud and tried to beat up his family. We were present at the spot after which the case was registered based on the statements made by Lovepreet Singh’s mother, Rani Kaur.”
The village is divided into two parts, just like the other villages in the state. The Jats, or the landlord’s community, live on the one side, and the Dalit community lives on the other side. A few days back, Lovepreet Singh, a young man from the Jat community, had a fight with Bitta Singh.
People from the Dalit community have alleged that they were prevented from entering Dera by the landlord’s family. Buta Singh, a member of the Dalit community, said, “We have constantly been protesting as Dera is a place of worship for all sections. The resentment between the two communities led to the incident. We went to file a complaint to Police, but instead of giving us justice, they turned against us. There is no other choice but to fight.”
The Dalit community has alleged that the Dalit youth was attacked. Gurmeet Singh Nandgarh, District Secretary, CPI (ML) Liberation, said in a statement, “The viral video of Dalit youth tied to a tree is a challenge to our community. Such incidents are on the rise in the state. We are fighting for our rights and will continue to fight.”
Bhagwant Singh Samao, President, Punjab Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, said, “Rich people are indulging in such incidents to oppress the Dalits. This is not the first time such an incident is happening in the state. They were common during Akali and Congress governments and continued under the AAP government. It is surprising that the Police booked the Dalit youth who was admitted to the hospital but did not take action against the attackers.”
Dera is the source of the problem, claimed villagers
Villagers claimed that Dera, located outside the village, allegedly distributed liquor during langar. People from far away come to attend Dera for liquor. Some villagers also go to the Dera for the same. The Jat family’s house is on the way to the Dera. They alleged this was the reason the family often got into fights with people passing by.
In a statement, Lovepreet said he had bought a new tractor and installed a music system on it. He was playing songs when a few Dalit youths came and allegedly asked him to stop the music, to which he obliged. However, it led to a feud between him and the Dalit group, which attacked him.
Meanwhile, the villagers have alleged that the outsiders are provoking the case for selfish reasons.
The law and order situation in Punjab
The law and order situation in Punjab is alarming. In the last week, multiple incidents have happened that raised a lot of questions about the AAP government. The recent murder of controversial singer Sidhu Moosewala followed by the murder of a woman and her daughter and a shooting incident outside Khalsa College in Chandigarh is only the tip of the iceberg. Notably, the Police called Khalsa College incident a ‘routine crime’. Last month, the Headquarters of Punjab Police’s intelligence department was attacked in Mohali. Multiple incidents have been reported where Police have recovered ammunition and drugs.
