Shock waves spread across Odisha and indeed the country after men of the Dalit Pana community were beaten near Dharakot of Ganjam district of the state. They were forced to crawl with grass blades between their teeth and also to drink drain water. They went through that ordeal after they were falsely charged with smuggling cattle by Savarnas.
According to media reports the accused have been arrested by Odisha police following a huge outcry against the inhuman treatment of Dalits. The Bharatiya Janata Party government headed by chief minister Mohan Majhi assumed office a year back. So far, the government has not done anything to stem such casteist mistreatment.
This author has spoken to rural residents belonging to Dalit and Muslim communities, who believe that BJP workers in Odisha have had a role to play in making violent language against them the new normal in Odisha.
Many say that this, in a society where it is not unusual to see people of all castes attending religious functions together, is a new low. Odisha has always been one of the most caste conscious states in India. And yet, caste relations were marked by widespread and structural discrimination, and so much not by violence.
Growing caste hostility
A campaign has been mounted by BJP functionaries, claiming that the Panas are beef eaters.
The Pana community has a symbolic role to play in Hindu cultural traditions. They perform certain functions in temple ceremonies and weddings. Their skills in beating drums and playing traditional musical instruments are often priceless in Hindu rituals.
People from the community collect the skins of dead cows to use them in their drums. Some are sold to shoemakers. Most are agricultural labourers and earning very little. Their temple roles are thus a source of revenue.
In Ganjam district, Brahmins and Pradhan communities are usually landlords. It used to be casteist custom that Brahmins’ legs would dangle from their verandahs in such a manner that they would be above the heads of Dalit people.
Similarly, Pradhans and other cultivating caste groups displayed a similar approach to Dalits who work as labourers in the agricultural fields. This special bond between Panas and cultivators fosters some kind of fictive kinship among them in rural Odisha.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.