Chhattisgarh Caste Violence—Dalit Basti Attacked After Dominant Family Blames Marginalized Voters for Poll Loss

Posted On February 22, 2025

Police Inaction Sparks Outrage

Rajan Chaudhary

Raigarh- The idea of losing an election was so intolerable to the dominant Goutiya family in Gotama village that they allegedly lashed out at Dalit and tribal families, holding them responsible for their defeat.

Furious over the loss of their candidate in the panchayat elections, the family and their supporters reportedly launched a violent attack on the Dalit basti, assaulting residents, vandalizing homes, and unleashing casteist abuse.

The victims, many of whom have historically worked in the fields of the dominant caste families, were left fearing for their lives. Despite their desperate calls for help and an overnight protest outside the SP office, the police have yet to take any action against the perpetrators, sparking outrage over the continued impunity for caste-based violence.

The incident occurred in the backdrop of the ongoing three-tier panchayat elections in Raigarh district. The first phase of polling in Pusaur block was held on February 17. The post of sarpanch in Gotama Gram Panchayat was reserved for the unreserved women’s category. Bilasini Gupta, wife of Ashok Gupta from the influential Goutiya family, contested the election but lost to Tanuja Gupta from the dependent village of Kesapali. The Goutiya family, which has traditionally held sway over the village, allegedly held the Dalit and tribal communities responsible for their defeat, accusing them of voting for the opposing candidate.

The Goutiya family, known for employing Dalit and tribal families as bonded laborers in their fields for generations, reportedly targeted these marginalized communities in a premeditated attack.

The assailants allegedly hurled casteist slurs, physically assaulted the victims, and vandalized their homes. Several people were injured, and many hid inside their homes, fearing for their lives. The attackers destroyed doors, roofs, and bamboo structures, leaving the homes in shambles. One of the victims, Saheb Ram Chauhan, and women from his family sustained severe injuries.

Speaking to The Mooknayak, Saheb Ram Chauhan recounted the horrific incident: “The election was on February 17. Bilasini Gupta, the wife of Ashok Gupta from the Goutiya family, lost, while Tanuja Gupta from Kesapali won. On February 18, people were celebrating. We ate at the winning candidate’s house, and she also visited our home. After returning from her house, we were at home when around 9 PM, the losing candidate’s supporters arrived. They started abusing us and threatened to kill us. I was inside the house, but they were banging on the door. When I tried to see what was happening, someone hit me with a stone, injuring my knee. I received medical treatment. After attacking me, they went to five other houses and did the same.”

Human rights activist Degree Prasad Chauhan told The Mooknayak that the sarpanch seat in Gotama Gram Panchayat was reserved for women from the general category. Both Gotama and its dependent village, Kesapali, had candidates contesting the election. The traditional village head family from Gotama fielded a candidate, while Kesapali had a woman candidate from the general category. Degree Prasad explained, “The village head from Gotama accused the Dalit and tribal communities, who work in their fields, of betraying them by voting for the candidate from the other village. This led to the attack on the community.”

He further revealed that the victims had called the police helpline on the day of the incident. The police arrived and patrolled the area throughout the night. Shockingly, despite stone-pelting occurring in front of the police, no arrests were made. When the victims went to the Pusaur police station, they were allegedly scolded and turned away. Frustrated, they staged a protest outside the SP office until 11 PM.

The Mooknayak attempted to contact the Pusaur station in-charge multiple times for details on legal actions, but the calls went unanswered due to the line being busy. Efforts to reach Raigarh SP Divyang Patel also failed, with the network being out of coverage. A message seeking clarification has been sent to the SP’s official WhatsApp number, and the report will be updated when a response is received.

Courtesy : The Mooknayak

Note: This news is originally published in themooknayak.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights