Land grab case: As court date nears, Dalits in Ramgarh village allege fresh threats from Gujjars

Singh is a key witness in the land grab case, which was followed by violence against the Dalit-Jatav community in Ramgarh. Singh will be cross-examined by the Gautam Budh Nagar district court on July 23. But as the date draws closer, Singh says, the community is facing fresh threats of violence from the dominant Gujjar community.

A team of CPI(ML) activists visited Ramgarh on Sunday to record statements of the Dalit-Jatav community and relay those to the National Human Rights Commission and the SC and ST Commission.

“We want to provide protection to those being threatened in the village before the trial. We are writing to the NHRC and the SC & ST Commission regarding the situation at Ramgarh,” Kavita Krishnan, CPI(ML)’s politburo member, said.

Singh says the community has learnt to live with the threat of violence from the Gujjars. “On July 23, my cross-examination will be completed and I hope that will help bring us justice,” he adds.

He alleges that the Gujjars had attempted a ‘compromise’ and promised to stop the violence. “We were offered money or shops in exchange for taking back the case.”

At the root of the case is a tract of land measuring 4.75 bighas. It had been allocated to the village’s Dalit-Jatav families by the state government. But the land was allegedly encroached upon by the Gujjars.

On March 14, 2012, a group of upper-caste Gujjars allegedly beat up the Dailts.

“There were 20 of them, maybe more. They had lathis, iron pipes and axes, and they spared no one. This was in broad daylight. Many had to be hospitalised,” Singh says.