Wedding processions of Dalit men face hurdles in Gujarat

The wedding procession of a Dalit bridegroom at a village in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat had to be provided police cover Sunday after members of the Thakor community objected to him offering prayers at a local temple.

The procession, however, passed off peacefully, police said.

Anil Rathod's family had sought police protection after elders of Sitvada village, belonging to the Thakor community, had objected on Saturday to the procession passing through the village and his plans to offer prayers at the temple, Bhikhabhai Vaniya, a villager, said.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Patel, "The family of the Anil Rathod submitted an application to the police seeking protection for the wedding procession. In their application, the Dalit members of the village had raised apprehension that members of another community might create trouble".

"We offered police protection to the marriage procession and it passed off peacefully. The groom also visited the village temple before he left for a nearby village for the marriage ceremony," the DSP said.

In a separate incident in Khambisar village in the state's Aravalli district, members of the Patidar community organised bhajan and yagna on the main road to stall a Dalit wedding procession, the groom's family alleged.

The procession was delayed despite police presence as the Patidar community members refused to leave, they said.

On Friday, the Thakor community members had also objected to a wedding procession as the bridegroom was riding a horse on way to the wedding venue.