Dalit journalist attacked and subjected to caste slurs in India
Lakhan Salvi says he was assaulted three times, including while receiving medical treatment, after man targeted him with caste slurs as he covered public event
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Dalit journalist in northern India was allegedly beaten, targeted with caste slurs and attacked with a pointed weapon while reporting at a government office, before his alleged assailants followed him to a health center and attacked him again as he received treatment.
Journalist Lakhan Salvi was covering villagers submitting a petition during a public grievance program Wednesday at a government administrative office in Rajasthan state’s Udaipur district when the confrontation began, according to a police complaint filed later that day.
Salvi told police that Gopal Lodha initially obstructed his camera with a mobile phone before assaulting him and directing caste-based abuse at him. Other people at the office intervened and moved Salvi away from the confrontation.
The attack allegedly did not stop there.
Salvi said Lodha followed him to another part of the government compound and assaulted him again, striking his head and face with what the journalist described as a “sharp pointed weapon.” He alleged that Lodha also attempted to strike his eye and attacked his private parts before bystanders intervened.
Salvi suffered a head injury and was bleeding when he was taken to a nearby community health center for treatment, according to the complaint.
He alleged that Lodha and his brother, Kailash Lodha, then arrived at the health facility and attacked him for a third time before fleeing.
Salvi also told police that Gopal Lodha had subjected him to caste-based abuse on previous occasions. He characterized Wednesday’s violence as a potentially fatal assault accompanied by slurs targeting his Dalit identity.
Dalits occupy the lowest position in India’s centuries-old Hindu caste hierarchy and were historically treated as “untouchable.”
Police registered a criminal case under India’s new penal code as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a special law intended to punish caste-based violence, intimidation and humiliation against historically oppressed communities.
The investigation has been assigned to a senior local police officer. The raw police complaint did not indicate that any arrests had been made by Wednesday.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra condemned the assault, describing the targeting of a journalist over his caste identity as an attack not only on Salvi but on freedom of expression and social justice.
He called for the accused to be arrested, an impartial investigation and protection for Salvi, while arguing that repeated attacks on Dalits raised broader questions about law and order in Rajasthan. Other opposition politicians made similar demands.
The attack comes days after another allegation of caste discrimination in Rajasthan. Two Dalit men said they were subjected to caste slurs and forced to leave chairs and sit on the floor during India’s Independence Day celebrations at a government school in Bhilwara district, an incident that also led to a police case.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
