PALANPUR: Following a spate of attacks on Dalit marriage processions in the last one year in north Gujarat, a college lecturer in a village of Sabarkantha has sought police protection to ensure that the most important day of his life passes off uneventfully on Saturday.
Sabarkantha superintendent of police (SP), Neeraj Badgujar said the lecturer Naresh Vankar has been given protection as a special case.
“One deputy SP, five sub-inspectors, one inspector and 60 constables will be deployed to ensure peace,” said deputy SP Dinesh Chauhan told TOI.
“There is no such tension in the village and it has never had any history of caste violence,” he said.
Vankar, a resident of Bhajpura village who teaches in Idar commerce college, said, “My marriage procession will go all around the village including the main market. I requested police protection and it has been given.”
Bhajpura has a population of about 800 and there are 30 households of Dalits in the village.
Village sarpanch Kalpesh Patel, however, expressed surprise at Vankar’s demand. “It’s a simple marriage procession. There is no objection in the village.”
However, Patel added that it would be better if the procession is carried out between 3pm to 6pm considering the rush of people going to fetch milk at the nearby dairy plant.
Earlier, upper caste members have taken serious objection to Dalit grooms riding a horse in their wedding processions, leading to clashes, in some villages of Sabarkantha.