Dalit wedding procession attacked in India
Upper-caste Hindu men allegedly hurled stones at Dalit grooms carrying image of anti-caste icon B.R. Ambedkar in Uttar Pradesh
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A wedding procession involving two Dalit brothers in northern India was attacked after upper-caste Rajput men objected to the grooms carrying a portrait of anti-caste icon Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, according to family members and local police.
The incident took place Wednesday night in Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh state, where members of the Rajput community allegedly hurled stones at the procession as it passed through a highway stretch near Narholi village.
Family members of the grooms said the attack began after Rajput residents objected to the presence of Ambedkar’s portrait in the wedding procession.
“The grooms were holding a picture of Ambedkar,” Bhagwan Das, uncle of the two grooms, told reporters. “They said they would not allow a Dalit wedding procession to pass through their area.”
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, architect of India’s constitution and one of the country’s most influential anti-caste thinkers, remains a powerful symbol of resistance and dignity for Dalits — historically oppressed communities once treated as “untouchables” under Hinduism’s caste hierarchy.
According to relatives, tensions escalated after some members of the wedding procession challenged the threats, leading to stone-pelting and violent clashes.
“The attackers did not spare even police officers when they arrived,” Das said.
Police said a criminal case had been registered against 16 people and an investigation was ongoing.
Some Rajput residents, however, accused members of the procession of provoking the violence. A local Rajput woman alleged that some participants entered a sweet shop and damaged property before clashes erupted.
The incident has renewed attention on continuing caste violence in India, where Dalits frequently face discrimination, social exclusion and attacks despite constitutional protections outlawing caste-based oppression.
Dalit wedding processions have repeatedly become flashpoints in several parts of India, particularly when grooms ride horses, play loud music or display symbols associated with Dalit pride and political assertion — acts that upper-caste groups in some areas continue to resist.
Rights advocates say violence surrounding Dalit celebrations, marriages and religious events reflects how caste discrimination remains deeply entrenched in many rural and semi-urban parts of India despite decades of legal reform.
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