A Dalit wedding that is 'threatening peace'

A dalit youth has sought security from the Uttar Pradesh Police for his wedding, which is proposed to take place at a Thakur-dominated village, after some members of the upper-caste  community termed it a "threat to peace".

According to reports, the marriage of Sanjay Jatav, a resident of Hathras district, has been fixed for April 20 with a girl who  is a  resident of the neighbouring Kasganj district's Nizampur village.

While preparing for the wedding, Sanjay came to know that in Nizampur, dominated by the Thakurs, Dalits  are not allowed to take out the 'barat' (wedding procession) as it would inevitably pass by the homes of upper-caste members.

Sanjay then approached the Kasganj police and sought security for the wedding, sources said.

The local police, which conducted an investigation into the matter, said in its report that the  wedding could pose a threat to peace if the  barat was  allowed.

The  police  said  the  Thakurs  may not allow the procession and therefore a clash  cannot  be ruled out.

Sanjay, however, remained firm on his decision to take the barat through the village saying there cannot be two sets of rules for two communities in the country.  This has put the local police in a quandary.

Kasganj was rocked by communal violence last month, during which one person was killed and dozens others injured.

Caste clashes have taken place in different parts of the state in the past few months. One person was killed in the clashes between Dalits and Thakurs in Saharanpur district last year.