Row over marriage ceremony social gathering in UP village: many say wish to go away

Days after a groom’s marriage ceremony procession was attacked, a number of households from the Dalit group in an Aligarh village say they want to go away the village, accusing folks kind a minority group of harassing them often, particularly over marriage ceremony processions.
Members of the opposite group have denied the allegations, and as an alternative accused folks within the marriage ceremony procession of violating Covid-19 laws by assembling in large numbers, and with out masks.
The altercation passed off at Tappal’s Noorpur village on Thursday. An FIR has been filed accusing some members of the Muslim group for alleged assault and utilizing casteist slurs, whereas the Dalit members have been booked for alleged violation of Covid protocol.
“We received information five days ago that a scuffle took place during a groom’s procession in Noorpur,” Shiv Pratap Singh, CO, Khair, mentioned. “Prima facie, we found that people from a minority community had asked the other minority section to halt the procession until their prayers were completed. This escalated and someone in the crowd vandalised a vehicle belonging to the groom’s side.”
“The family has also alleged they were beaten up, which is being investigated,” he mentioned.
According to police, the procession was being taken out in a lane reverse a mosque on Thursday. Since the congregation coincided with the afternoon prayers, residents requested the household to halt music by DJ till the prayers have been over, in keeping with native residents and police officers.

The groom’s facet allegedly refused and an argument ensued.
“It was my daughter’s wedding and as part of the ritual some of us had gone to bring the baraat home,” mentioned Omprakash, an area resident. “We were intercepted by people from the minority community; they objected to the procession. Our community has faced oppression on many occasions — they try and stop our wedding processions. When we tried to reason, they attacked and beat us.”
“It was humiliating to face this one my daughter’s wedding day. I also received injuries,” he mentioned.
Several residents alleged that uninterested in police and administration inaction, they’re pressured to contemplate migration. On Monday, The Indian Express discovered rows of homes belonging to folks from Jatav group having put up messages with blue chalk, stating that their home was on the market. “I put up this sign because we want to leave. The Dalit community has been at the receiving end of insult and assault. We do not feel safe in this village,” one resident mentioned.
The CO mentioned: “The SDM and senior police officers have been in touch with the residents. They have been assured of all possible action. They are cooperating with us. We have also stationed police personnel in the village.”

Noorpur is predominantly a Muslim village, with almost 800 homes. There are about 100 households from Dalit group.
“We have videos of the procession, showing hundreds of people,” Alam, an eyewitness, mentioned. “When we told them to take precaution, they got aggressive. We also requested them to halt for a few minutes until the azaan was over. They said nothing will stop the procession…This appears to be politically driven since both communities have lived here peacefully.”
The native residents additionally alleged that the general public named within the FIR weren’t even current through the incident.
The FIR has been registered underneath related sections of SC/ST Act towards 11 folks. It alleged that folks from the Muslim group have harassed them throughout marriage ceremony processions in earlier situations as effectively. The Dalit members face an FIR for violation of Covid-19 laws underneath the Epidemic Act.