Hathras rape and the continuing curse of caste

My birth is my fatal accident,” wrote Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student of Hyderabad University, days before he committed suicide in 2016. His death sparked protests against institutionalised discrimination of Dalits. Mainstream political parties and Ambedkarite groups vied with each other to galvanise a movement against continuing caste-related atrocities. But four years later, as another member of the Dalit community succumbed to injuries suffered while being raped and brutalised at a small village in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, all the promises appear to be hollow.

Vemula’s words sum up what millions of Dalits face almost on a daily basis. The banning of untouchability and the passage of several laws were aimed at ending the deeply embedded caste hierarchies. It was hoped that reservation in jobs and education would give the lower castes a level-playing field. But even after 73 years of Independence, being born a Dalit is more a curse than a blessing. Casteist slurs, discrimination and prejudices run deep. Worse still is the mentality among some upper caste men who use rape as a tool to ‘punish’ and instil fear.

Following a national outcry, the UP government announced cash compensation, a job and a house to the rape victim’s family. While this is welcome, the state and the Hathras district administration rubbed salt into the grieving family’s wounds by denying them their right to give the victim a decent cremation. If the family is to be believed, the district authorities cremated the girl in the dead of the night while they were put under a house arrest of sorts.

If the authorities feared that a cremation during the day, which the family pleaded for, would lead to a law-and-order situation, then it reflects poorly on their ability, and action ought to be taken against the district magistrate and the superintendent of police for incompetence. As if this were not enough, the UP government misused its powers to prevent Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi from visiting the aggrieved family. Political leaders connecting, meeting and commiserating with the public are the essence of democracy; they should not be denied this right.