Madhya Pradesh: Caste encroachment on cremation ground, Dalit family forced to perform last rites on fields

Gram Panchayat Karela case of Vidisha district, hearing not held even after demand

Published on: Jul 16, 2023 at 2:46 pm

Bhopal. In a village in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, due to the illegal occupation of upper castes on the way to the cremation ground, Dalits are forced to perform the last rites in their own fields. The case pertains to Parasikhurd village of Panchayat Karela in Vidisha district. After the death of Nannulal Ahirwar of the Dalit community of the village, the family members are taking the dead body to the field by keeping it on a cot. There is a cremation ground in the village, but Dalits cannot go to the cremation ground. The upper castes have captured and sowed the crop on their way. The people of Dalit community told that due to no other way of cremation in the village and due to dispute with the upper castes, they are forced to perform the last rites of the dead bodies on their own private farms. 

Talking to The Mooknayak , Vivek Ahirwar, a member of the victim’s family, told that there is no way for the crematorium. People are doing agriculture by occupying the road. How can we pass through someone’s farm with a dead body? That’s why they perform the last rites in their own private fields.

The occupation of the cremation ground by the bigots

Last month itself, the team of the Revenue Department had demarcated the crematorium land. Here Patwari and RI had identified three bighas of cremation ground and two bighas of adjacent graveyard. Sarpanch of Karela Gram Panchayat Himmat Singh Rajput had told that earlier there was a graveyard here. Although no Muslim family lives here now. But in the land records of the Revenue Department, there is a total of five bighas of land for the cemetery and Muktidham (crematorium). Which has been captured by the strong minded people of the village. 

There is no road even to the houses of Dalits.

There is no road even to reach the Dalit settlement in village Parasikhurd of Gram Panchayat Karela. People pass through the fields to go here. The settlement can only be reached on foot. There is no way for two and four wheelers here. Pritam Ahirwar, a resident of the village, told The Mooknayak that there is no road leading to his settlement. Somebody gets sick or somebody has to go somewhere. So he goes to the first village on foot, there is no way. It is also difficult to walk in the rainy season.

The government gave the lease, but the way is not known

In Parasi Khurd village, the government had given land pattas to Dalits. But there is no difficulty in the journey from the place where the lease was given. Sarpanch Himmat Singh said that the government had given pattas to the landless people belonging to Scheduled Castes 40 years ago. Today a settlement has been formed here. Which is about one and a half km away from the village. But it is not a common way. People are reaching here only through the fields.

not hearing

The people of the Dalit community have given demand letters to all the people of the administration including the Collector for the way to the settlement and the cremation ground. Vivek Ahirwar, a resident of the village, said that for the last eight years, he has been pleading with the top officials of the administration regarding the demand for the road. But no one is listening to solve their problems. “The MP has given memorandum to the MLA several times but no action is taken”, he said.

The way was not free even after demarcation

Talking to The Mooknayak, Sarpanch Himmat Singh Rajput said that the way to the crematorium is encroached upon by some people of the village. Due to the rough road, people have sown crops here. The sarpanch told that the land of the cremation ground is in the possession of the families of Sanman Singh and Neetam Sharma. The encroachers have sown crops in it. A complaint has been lodged with the Tehsildar. About a month ago the demarcation of the road was done in which the road came out. But people have removed the sign and occupied it again.

The Mooknayak called up Vidisha Collector Umashankar Bhargava to talk about the matter , but could not get through.