There are several Ramkishans in Hindaun and across the country who have become prey to the violent agitation Dalit organisations had staged on April 2, 2018.
Even four days after the ‘violent’ Bharat Bandh, remains of charred vehicles on the edge of the historical Kachehri Road are eerie testimonies to the butcherous violence Hindaun had witnessed. Around 200 metres away towards the Hindaun Fort, remains of a burnt ‘gumti’ where Ram Kishan would iron clothes make situation even more chronic. This 35-year old Dalit would run his house on income from this gumti fending his three children, a wife and a 70-year old widow mother. For last four days, Ram Kishan has been coming to this charred gumti, sit there and returns to his 10X10 sq ft home before the curfew starts at 7.30 pm.
“Our own men have snatched roti. What can I do now? I am a daily wager. Whatever small saving I had, I have already spent on medicines of my ailing mother and feeding children. Who will get me the gumti from where I would earn Rs 350 daily by ironing clothes,” he asks with tears rolling down before sticking in his unkempt beard.
There are several Ramkishans in Hindaun and across the country who have become prey to the violent agitation Dalit organisations had staged last Monday. Hindaun was among few cities which bore double whammy when traders and hooligans of upper castes held counter protests the next day. Protestors represented two different classes but victims had only one identity – poor and helpless people who are faceless, baseless and have no influence on a society which is now brutally divided. Even district collector Abhimanyu Kumar was rattled by the scale of violence which set the entire city on fire.
“We were prepared to handle the situation. But I was shocked to see the scale of the protest. I believe people from neighbouring places joined the protest,” he said.
The burnt houses of sitting MLA Rajkumari Jatav and former minister Bharosi Lal Jatav are the living evidence of the fact that even high and mighty are on the radar of mindless protestors. The situation in Krishna Nagar, a well laid residential colony in Hindaun was even more alarming. Radhika (name changed), an 18-year-old XII class student of a government school fell victim to molestation by a boy from her own locality. But then mob has no face and exploited have no voice.
“I was going to my bua’s place just 300 metres from my home. A boy residing in the same locality, who had been stalking at me for some time, came up as a part of mob and molested me. I could hardly shout before he along with 50 other mobsters went laughing at my situation,” she said sharing her ordeal.
The torment that Hindaun had undergone in past few days is unlikely to be wiped out in recent times. It will have a longlasting impact on the social fabric of the society.
“Ours is a closed knit society. This will have political as well as social ramification. While the upper and Dalit divide, which had been created in the name of protest and counter-protest, will play a pivotal role in deciding the votes,” Shyam Sundar Jatav, a BJP leader.
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 "Violence during Bharat Bandh on April 2")
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