Dalit groom was forced to wear a helmet to fend off brickbats from angry upper-caste villagers who didn’t want him to ride a horse. The incident took place on Sunday night when the groom from Ujjain, Purlal Padiyar, 25, took out his marriage procession in Nerugen village in Ratlam district.
Purlal’s family had arranged a horse, but after stiff opposition from upper caste villagers, the horse owner backtracked. Undeterred, the groom’s family informed police and arranged another horse. The procession proceeded to the bride’s house under heavy police cover.
Peeved at the police cover given to a Dalit, upper caste villagers, including sarpanch Karulal Beragi, began pelting stones at the groom. “Villagers began screaming that Dalit grooms did not have the right to ride a horse and would be punished,” Purlal’s father Nirbhay Ram said. As stones began flying from all directions, the innovative groom quickly wore a helmet as a shield, but refused to get down from the horse. Six people, including a naib tehsildar and a policeman, were injured in the stone pelting. The Ratlam police have booked over 70 people, including the village sarpanch.
