RSS Worker Faces Social Boycott After Eating at Dalit Home in Madhya Pradesh Village

A viral video of a meal sparked significant backlash from villagers, highlighting persistent caste tensions.

Bhopal:

A disturbing case of social boycott and untouchability has emerged from a village in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, revealing the persistence of deep-rooted caste prejudices in rural India. Bharat Raj Dhakad, who works with the RSS, reports that his family has been ostracized merely because he and two companions consumed food at a 'shraadh' ceremony (a Hindu ritual honoring ancestors) hosted by a Dalit family.

According to Bharat, he attended the ceremony at Santosh Parole's home in Pipariya Puariya village alongside Manoj Patel and teacher Satyendra Raghuvanshi. The situation escalated when Raghuvanshi recorded a video of their meal which subsequently went viral, triggering hostile reactions from certain village members.

Bharat claims that following this incident, a panchayat gathering was convened, headed by Sarpanch Bhagwan Singh Patel. Several prominent villagers attended, including Balaram Patel, Nagendra Patel, Niranjan Patel, Jawahar Patel, Lakhan Dhakad, Laxman Das, Ramsevak Sharma, Jasman Singh, and Deputy Sarpanch Chandra Prakash. During this assembly, Bharat was reportedly told, "Eating food at a Valmiki (Dalit) family's home is a sin."

The panchayat allegedly mandated that the three men undergo a "purification" ritual, which involved bathing in the Ganga and hosting a community feast to atone for their supposed transgression. Under considerable pressure, Manoj Patel and Satyendra Raghuvanshi reportedly complied with the ritual demands, while Bharat steadfastly refused, denouncing the dictate as both unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Bharat Raj Dhakad stated, "I actively work for the RSS. We do not believe in any kind of untouchability. Last month, an incident occurred with me. In our village Panchayat, we ate food at Santosh's father's wedding ceremony, during a shraadh ceremony. Our RSS workers and one of our teachers were also present. Satyendra Raghuvanshi ji made a video of the entire meal. However, after the video went viral, we were socially boycotted."

As a consequence of his refusal to comply, Bharat alleges that his family is experiencing severe social isolation. His father, Niranjan Singh, no longer receives invitations to village ceremonies, community members refuse to interact with them, and they face daily humiliation and discrimination. Despite previously approaching both the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and local police, Bharat reports that no action was taken. He has now submitted a fresh application during a public hearing, urgently requesting intervention.

What makes this incident particularly alarming is that Udaypura is represented by Minister of State (Independent Charge) Narendra Shivaji Patel. Ironically, just weeks prior to this incident, the minister himself had publicly dined at a Dalit home as a gesture to promote social harmony. Yet his example appears to have had no impact on the panchayat's entrenched attitudes.

This matter was presented during a public hearing before District Collector Arun Kumar Vishwakarma, who expressed strong condemnation of such practices. He affirmed, "Such evils will not be tolerated at any cost. Action has been taken in similar cases before, FIRs have been filed, and legal action will follow in this case as well."