In Gadalwada village of Palanpur taluka in Banaskantha district, a Dalit advocate, Mukesh Parecha, had to conduct his wedding procession under unprecedented police protection. Authorities deployed 200 police personnel to ensure the safety of the groom and his family.
Police Protection and MLA Solidarity
During the procession, Palanpur’s Gadh Police Station PI K.M. Vasava personally drove the groom’s car, with Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani seated in the back, to prevent any escalation after stone-pelting occurred. Mukesh Parecha had requested security in advance, citing past incidents in neighboring villages like Saripada and Mota, where Dalit wedding processions faced attacks despite police presence.
Thanks to the heavy deployment, no major incident occurred, though the necessity of such protection for a wedding procession reflects deep-rooted social discrimination.
Historical Context: First Dalit Wedding in the Village
Mukesh Parecha’s elder brother, Vinod Parecha, noted that no Scheduled Caste wedding procession had taken place in Gadalwada since independence. The family decided to challenge this longstanding social norm. Given past violence in nearby villages, they proactively sought security clearance from the Banaskantha SP, Gadh Police Station PI, Gandhinagar DGP, and the SC/ST Cell on January 22, 2025.
One day before the wedding, Mukesh received a phone call threatening him against taking out the procession. The family immediately reported the threats to authorities and identified the individual responsible.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.