Ground Report: Caste Groups Clash In Gujarat Village Over Love Marriages Involving "Daughters Of Our Community"

Banaskantha: A day after violent clashes broke out between two caste groups at Un village in the Ogad taluka of Banaskantha district in northern Gujarat, the police on Thursday (March 19) registered a complaint against 16 individuals, and a mob of 1,000 people. They have also deployed a convoy of policemen in the village, and organised a meeting between the warring groups, where they appealed residents to maintain peace.

The ETV Bharat team visited the village and spoke with the locals to assess the prevailing situation. Here's what they found out.

Caste Clash Over Woman: The Origins

The current dispute began when popular singer Kinjal Rabari, a resident of Sinad village in the Radhanpur Taluka of Patan district, and Ashok Chaudhary, got married without the approval of families and village elders. While Rabari belongs to a group that is identified as nomadic, the Chaudharys are considered OBC in northern Gujarat, making their love marriage inter-caste.

It sparked massive outrage within the Rabari community. Thakarsi Rabari, a community leader, issued a stern warning via a video message and demanded the return of the "community's daughter". As this video went viral, the entire Rabari community united and intensified their demands for her return.

Eventually, leaders from both communities met to decide that the marriage be annulled and Kinjal sent back to her home. But that's not where it ended. Now, the parents of another young woman from the Chaudhary community, sought the assistance of Rabari leader Thakarsi to help retrieve "their own daughter".

Around two years ago, Kanku Chaudhary had eloped and married a young man from the Rabari community of Un village. The Chaudharys wanted her back. Kanku posted a video, pleading that her settled domestic life not be disrupted. This ignited widespread outrage within the Chaudharys, who organised a meeting in Runi village on March 18.

"Give Back Our Daughter"

During this meeting, the community leaders issued a five-day ultimatum to the Rabaris to "return their daughter Kanku". However, the Chaudhary youths at the gathering rejected this proposal. Simultaneously, a large number of residents from Un village arrived at the venue in vehicles, and the situation spiraled out of control with pelting of stones and vandalising of vehicles by the enraged mob.

To bring the situation under control, police forces from three districts — Vav Tharad, Banaskantha, and Patan — were deployed in Un. Despite persuasion and negotiation, when the situation remained volatile for hours, a convoy led by the sistrict police chiefs of Banaskantha and Vav Tharad arrived.

But when the situation deteriorated further and the police themselves came under attack, they finally resorted to force and fired tear gas shells. Upon receiving information about the incident, Range IG Parikshit Rathod visited Un late in the evening to assess the law and order situation, and eventually brought the situation under control.

Police Intervention, Tense Peace

Since then, heavy police security has been deployed in Un village. On Thursday, the police brought an FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team to conduct an on-site panchnama (official record). They also recovered items used in the clashes, including sticks and knives.

Deputy SP C L Solanki, in coordination with village leaders, convened an urgent meeting of a peace committee at the village school and appealed to the residents to maintain peace. He also urged the public to inform the police as soon as any untoward incident took place.

When the ETV Bharat team reached Un on Thursday, Sarpanch Ranubha Vaghela, and Rabari leader Valabhai Desai said peace had returned to the village. They noted that the situation had turned tense on Wednesday, when a mob entered the village, engaged in stone-pelting, caused widespread vandalism, and inflicted damage. They also reported that during the clashes, the home of a local journalist was pelted with stones, the windshield of his car was shattered, while he sustained injuries to his head and hands. They also said that eventually, the police brought the situation under control.

On Thursday, Banaskantha SP Prashant Sumbe addressed a press conference, providing details on the unfolding situation and the actions taken by the authorities. He said that five police personnel had got injured in Wednesday's clashes at Un, and that several other individuals had also got injured.

He said that to disperse the crowd, police had to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas. He also said that in the complaint registered, charges have been invoked under sections pertaining to inciting riots, attempted murder, and assaulting government officials on duty. As of now, four individuals have been taken into custody. The police have formed eight teams to apprehend the remaining accused, and appealed to Rabari community leaders to maintain peace.