Cast in caste mould, leaders shy away

The first day of the bandh in Jhajjar saw local politicians, including the MLA and the MP, distancing themselves from those who had announce...

The first day of the bandh in Jhajjar saw local politicians, including the MLA and the MP, distancing themselves from those who had announced the stir to demand the release of 10 people arrested in the Dalit lynching case.

The bandh had been called by the Guliya khap (a congregation of a particular caste). Haryana Minister for Town and Country Planning Dhir Pal belongs to this khap. He has won elections five times from the Badli constituency.

‘‘This is not the Guliya khap, it is just the Sura village. A khap meeting is always summoned by the president, the secretary by writing a letter. In this case, since there was no such thing it cannot be claimed that the khap is supporting the bandh,’’ said Dhir Pal, a leader of CM Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal. All the MLAs in the area and the MP are from the ruling party. They held a meeting with the administration to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

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Predictably, they blame the Congress and the Haryana Vikas Party for making the case a political issue. ‘‘This was not a Dalit issue at all, just an accident,’’ said Dhir Pal.

The khap has appointed a 55-member committee and has names on it cutting across party lines. Among the office-bearers are Anand Sagar, former youth Congress vice-president, Acharya Vijay Pal from the local gurukul, and Acharya Baldev, president of the gaushala, to press upon the administration to release the prisoners.

They are miffed with the politicians for not supporting their cause. ‘‘The politicians will have to come to us if our demands are not met by November 20. We will then call a mahapanchayat of all khaps,’’ said Nityanand Yakupur, who is spearheading the bandh.

On Wednesday, the firsts arrests were followed by violence. The Dulina police post was vandalised and partly burnt by a mob. They were lathi-charged as they gathered near Dulina. This time too a crowd was mobilised by making announcements that police were entering the village.

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Officials said the bandh was not a success, and that of the eight roads claimed to have been closed, only two have blockades. ‘‘Even these will be cleared,’’ said Muhammed Akil, SP, Jhajjar. Out of the 10 people who were arrested, brothers Ramesh and Mahaveer Guliya are supposed to be the core group behind the lynchings. They are known for their muscle power. ‘‘They mobilised the crowd on seeing the skinning,’’ said Akil.

The main accused being from the Guliya caste, the khap has come to their rescue. Khaps are an age-old tradition in villages 200 km around Delhi. They have their own system of justice, especially in matters of social life. During polls, any politician backed by his khap stands a chance to win.