By Maktoob
A Dalit groom’s traditional wedding procession was allegedly stopped midway in Madi village of Gujarat’s Mehsana district after upper-caste men objected to him riding a horse during the ceremony.
The incident occurred around 10 am on May 10 near the village dairy and has once again highlighted the continuing resistance to Dalit assertions of cultural equality despite constitutional and legal safeguards.
Complainant Bhavik Rawat stated that his younger brother, groom Mayank Rawat, faced abuse from Yuvrajsinh Chauhan and Nikulsinh Chauhan of the Darbar community.
The accused allegedly hurled casteist slurs, manhandled the groom and claimed horse mounted processions as an exclusive Darbar right. The accused threatened the family against proceeding, which led to panic among relatives and guests, halting the baraat before it reached Ahmedabad for the ceremony.
Ladol police in Vijapur taluka swiftly registered an FIR against the duo under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Local activist Kaushik Parmar highlighted this as evidence of persistent discrimination, even amid constitutional protections.
Horse riding during weddings is a common practice across India, yet Dalit grooms repeatedly face opposition from uppercaste people.
Such violence often erupts over symbolic assertions of dignity, such as a Dalit groom riding a horse, playing music, or passing through dominant-caste localities, practices that challenge entrenched social hierarchies.
In April 2026, a 23-year-old physically disabled Dalit groom, Golu Ahirwar, was allegedly dragged off a horse and assaulted during a pre-wedding procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district after caste-Hindu men objected to him riding through the village. His family members were also allegedly assaulted and robbed when they intervened.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.