In Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh district, a Dalit youth was brutally assaulted for using the word “Raja” in his Instagram profile name. The attack left him with a broken leg, and his family has accused the police of taking the matter lightly.
The incident took place in Kanchanpura village under Mohangarh police station limits. According to the victim’s family, some men from the Thakur community objected after the Dalit youth added the word “Raja” before his name online. In Bundelkhand, the word “Raja” is commonly used by members of the Thakur caste, and they allegedly considered it an insult when the Dalit youth adopted it.
“They told him to remove the name. When he refused, they attacked him with sticks. His leg bone was broken. Even after we went to the police, the case was registered under minor sections,” a relative of the victim said.
The family, dissatisfied with the police action, approached Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh. The SP assured them of stricter action. “We are waiting for the medical report. Based on it, non-bailable sections will be added,” said ASP Vikram Singh Kushwaha.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family has alleged that the accused are continuously threatening them and pressuring them to withdraw the case.
Social worker Manoj Choubey, who has long worked in Bundelkhand, said such incidents reflect the region’s deep-rooted feudal mindset. “Even after 79 years of independence, rural Bundelkhand is trapped in caste arrogance and illiteracy. Education was never promoted here. Today, only because of social media, such incidents reach the police. Otherwise, they would have been buried in silence,” he said.
