A Dalit family from the Ahirwar community was violently attacked by members of the Gurjar community while sowing seeds on land they claim as their own in Narayanpura village, Lateri tehsil, Madhya Pradesh. The incident occurred on Friday, when the family was cultivating soybean seeds.
According to the victims, the assailants beat them—including two women—and forcibly took their soybean seeds to sow in their own field. Four family members sustained serious injuries and were admitted to Lateri Government Hospital. A video of the assault has gone viral, sparking widespread outrage.
Bhagwat Singh Ahirwar, one of the injured, said, “We were sowing seeds on our own land when Murari, Hansraj, Gudda, Parvat, and Bunty attacked us. They hit the women as well and took away our seeds to assert dominance.”
Authorities indicated the land might partly be government property, which could have triggered the dispute. The Ahirwar family, however, insists the land legally belongs to them and said they were repeatedly threatened not to cultivate it.
Vidisha Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani stated, “There was a dispute between two parties. We are investigating based on medical reports. Strict action will be taken against the guilty.”
The Congress party condemned the attack, calling it a stark example of caste oppression and rising atrocities against Dalits in the state. District Congress President Mohit Raghuvanshi said, “This is not just a land issue but caste oppression. The Congress stands with the victims and demands immediate arrest of the culprits.”
Vidisha Collector Anshul Gupta said the case will be resolved swiftly and warned against any encroachment on government land.
