In Bihar,OBC homes torched after inter-caste marriage

Residents said there was tension ever since a Brahmin youth married an OBC woman on April 14. The OBC community organised the marriage at a temple in Darbhanga and left out the youth’s family.

While the groom belonged to Panchog,with a population of over 8,000 that is largely Brahmin,the bride was from Harichanda,home to some 4,000 people.

Panchog and Harichanda villages have had a long history of caste violence,with clashes being witnessed in 1994,1985 and 1979.

After the torching incident,the couple left Panchog for their own safety,police said.

Matters also worsened when Rajiv Choudhary from Panchog was allegedly roughed up by the Shahs while he was visiting Harichanda in connection with the forthcoming panchayat elections.

Darbhanga SP Vikas Vaibhav said the inter-caste marriage may have been the trigger for the April 14 burning of houses. “We have arrested 46 upper caste people for arson and have deployed forces.” Most menfolk of Panchog have left the village,fearing arrest.

The SP said that the concrete houses hadn’t suffered much damage while the thatched houses had been partially destroyed.

Since 1992,Bihar Police has received 3,493 reports of Dalit atrocities. Of these,1,895 cases are still pending.