In Gujarat, a 24-year-old Dalit youth was beaten by a group of upper caste men for allegedly posting a picture of himself on social media wearing a traditional headgear (safa) and sunglasses. The incident occurred on July 17 in Sayebapur village, Sabarkantha district.
The victim, Ajay Parmar, a three-wheeler driver, lodged a first information report (FIR) at the Gadh police station in Banaskantha on July 18. Parmar said that he was attacked by four men from the Darbar community, who consider themselves upper-caste Kshatriyas. The assailants reportedly confronted Parmar near the Navanagar bus stand, accusing him of inappropriate use of symbols like Safa and sunglasses which they claimed were reserved for their community.
“They told me that only people from the Darbar community can wear safa and sunglasses. They beat me up and told me to remove the picture,” Parmar told Deccan Herald. The attack did not end there; Parmar was also assaulted later at his village.
This incident follows a pattern of similar attacks in Gujarat. In June 2023, a 21-year-old Dalit youth and his family were assaulted by upper caste Rajput community members for wearing sunglasses and good clothes in Mota village, Palampur.
Parmar’s FIR names four accused: Kirpalsinh Rathod, Manusinh Rathod and his son, Hitendrasinh Rathod, and Shukalsinh Rathod. Parmar alleged that when his father called the local police for help, they arrived an hour later. Sanjay Goswami, a police sub-inspector at the Himatnagar rural police station, confirmed that the accused have fled the village and stated, “We are investigating the case.”
The violence against Dalits in Gujarat has been persistent. In November 2023, a 21-year-old Dalit youth was assaulted by his employer for requesting his salary. In February 2024, a Dalit groom was attacked for riding a horse during his wedding procession in Gandhinagar district. These incidents highlight a disturbing trend of caste-based violence and discrimination.
