(News) Dalits welcome the arrival of the statue on Ambedkar Jayanti in Damoh

Flexing muscles for the first time, a group of dalits fired in air on Saturday to welcome the arrival of a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar that will replace a bust installed at the busy traffic square in Damoh, a backward district in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.

The statue will be installed at the traffic square at a function on April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti, in the presence of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Surprisingly, this incident took place two days after a dalit was allegedly beaten up and denied entry to a temple in the district. Chinga Ahirwar who tried to enter a temple was allegedly beaten up in Semra Madhiya village of Nohta about 40 km away from Damoh district headquarters. Ahirwar, who was allegedly denied entry in a temple, had filed a written complaint with the local police, but no FIR was lodged. As a group of dalits welcomed the arrival of the statue, some of them fired in air and celebrated its arrival. As the sound of fire reverberated, the onlookers were taken aback- for this possibly was the first occasion when dalits were flexing muscles, a privilege that remained with upper castes and landlords in the region.

Though the tradition to fire in air is prevalent in various parts of Madhya Pradesh, dalits have hardly been seen indulging in such an act. Mostly, this is done in political processions to welcome a political leader in northern MP or during marriage processions when Thakurs fire in air to celebrate.

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Courtesy : The Times of India