Casteism and Honour: Niece of Chhattisgarh’s Dy CM alleges threat to life from her family for inter-caste marriage

In a video released on social media, she states that the BJP leader and Dy CM, who is her uncle, was the most against her marriage, calls him responsible for any harm that is caused to the couple

Another worrisome display of caste hierarchy, threat of “honour” killing and attempts to control the autonomy has come forth.

On December 16, the niece of

Chhattisgarh’s Drputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma released a video on social media worried for her own safety. She also accused her uncle of threatening her life.

As per a now viral video, the girl in the video is Anjali Sharma, a resident of Kawardha district, is the daughter of Ajay Sharma and the niece of Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Vijay Sharma.

In the video, Anjali can be seen pleading for her safety and justice. She states in the video that she has gotten married to a youth from Satnami community and the lives of the couple is in danger from her uncle, Dy CM Vijay Sharma.

She can be heard saying that “If anything happens to us, my uncle Vijay Sharma will be responsible for it.” She can be further heard asserting that she is happy in her marriage, which she has entered into of her own will, and does not want to be harassed by the state. She says “I request the government and administration that I am happy and should not harass us.”

Anjali then shed light on the issue that she had been facing from her family due to the caste difference between the couple. In the video, she says “My family members were refusing to marry me because our caste was different but I loved Aman so I got married as per my wish. I left my house and came and sat in Aman’s house. Here the family got us married because I had said that as soon as I come home, I have to get married because if this marriage did not happen, my life would not have been possible.”

Further in the video, Anjali emphasises on the threats that she has been facing by her family after her inter-caste marriage. She alleges that her uncle, the deputy CM, will be the one to be held responsible for any harm that is caused to her or her husband as he was the one most against the inter-caste marriage.

She further says, “I had received many threats from my family that either they will kill you or your husband’s family members will kill you. If anything happens to me or my husband’s family members, then the full responsibility for it will be on my uncle, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vijay Sharma because he was the one who was most against our marriage.”

Anjali then re-iterates her happiness and stands by her decision by saying “But I am happy with Aman and will remain happy in future too. My mental condition is fine but attempts have been made to worsen it but I am absolutely fine. My mental condition is absolutely normal because I am an adult. I can take my decisions as per my own wish. I request the government administration and my family members not to harass me. Let me live in peace and you too can live in peace. I want to stay here for the rest of my life and I don’t want to go back home, thanks.”

Courtesy : Sabrang India

Note: This news piece was originally published in sabrangindia.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Righ