For almost half a year, 18-year-old Sheetal, and her 27-year-old fiance Sanjay – both of whom belong to the Jatav community – braved ‘threats’ from upper-caste Thakurs who were irked by their resolve to challenge tradition and take their wedding procession across Thakur homes in Nizampura village in UP’s Kasganj district.
The wedding, which was delayed once after a magistrate inquiry stated that the girl in question was not 18 yet, is now slated for 15 July. Wedding preparations are on in full swing in Sheetal’s home.
The wedding preparations, however, are not without tension. During the peak of the conflict, The Quint travelled to Nizampura to document the face-off between the Thakurs and Dalits – which can be seen in the video above.
“They say they won't fall at our feet. We say we will not let the wedding procession move across the village. A Thakur will remain a Thakur. There will be conflict,” Urmila Devi, a Thakur from Nizampura village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj, had told The Quint then.
Sheetal’s uncle on the other hand had said, “To insult and humiliate us has become a way of life in Nizampura.” Sheetal’s brother had received threats, Sheetal told us.
The local authorities also repeatedly turned the couple away as “the couple’s wish to challenge tradition could lead to violence.” The district magistrate questioned the intent of the bride and groom as well.
The local police and the magistrate repeatedly denied the couple permission. This is how The Quint’s conversation with a local police official, under whose jurisdiction Nizampura falls, went:
Reporter: Why not give them permission?
Local cop: What if someone fires a bullet from the roof of a house and someone dies? What if the groom is hit? Then who will be responsible?
Reporter: The police will be.
Local cop: How much responsibility can the police take? We are saying don’t take out a procession. Just accept it.
Reporter: So you too think there can be a casualty?
You tell me. You’re a woman. And they said all those things to you, then to us they would have even said more. A job of a policeman is based on probabilities.
Finally, on 9 April, after repeated visits to the village by local authorities, a compromise was reached. This was around the same time that media attention led to this hyperlocal issue turning into national news. While the Dalit couple cannot take their procession across the entire village, the new route will allow them to pass the lane they live on and cross a few Thakur homes.
This is a first for this village in Uttar Pradesh where Dalits have always restricted their processions to the lane they live on. Security is going to be provided on 14 and 15 July, to ensure things do not go out of hand.
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