Five days after “cleansing their village of a criminal tribe”, upper caste villagers helped by local politicians succeeded in extracting a ‘promise’ from the Government that Pardhis will not be allowed to return to Chothai village near Multai. In-charge of Betul district, Revenue Minister Kamal Patel visited the village on Sunday and even discussed the possibility of Pardhis being sent out of Madhya Pradesh. In any case, they will not be allowed to come back to the district, the minister told villagers, who had burnt and razed to the ground a cluster of 62 houses belonging to Pardhis last Tuesday. Patel announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the family of an upper caste woman, who was allegedly raped and killed by four Pardhis on Sunday. About 300 Pardhis, including women and children, ran for their lives when they learnt that villagers were planning to attack their settlement to avenge the rape and murder of the Kunbi woman. Most of them managed to come to Bhopal, about 230 km away, and took shelter near the railway station. In fact, the local police and administration, sensing the villagers’ mood had helped Pardhis to escape by escorting them to the local railway station with a promise that their houses and properties will be safe. Within hours of Pardhis’ escape, the villagers, encouraged by local leaders cutting across political lines, attacked the Pardhis’ settlement. Police records said 2,000 unknown people were involved in the attack.Two bodies of Pardhis, including one of a woman, were recovered in the next two days. The police claimed the deaths were natural while the community alleged foul play. When villagers expressed their fear that they could be penalised for what they did on Tuesday, they were reportedly told by officials in the minister’s entourage that they need not worry because the FIR was registered against unknown persons. Villagers justified their act before the minister alleging that the tribe had become a major nuisance for the region due to their criminal activities. In Bhopal, the Pardhis wondered what is in store for them. They begged near the railway station to make both ends meet for the first three days before the administration shifted them to Shastrinagar and arranged for their food and other needs. “We want to go back to Multai come what may,” Ratna Pardhi, a former member of the village panchayat, said. Divisional Commissioner B R Naidu promised the Pardhis that the Government would try to work out a package for their resettlement.
