New OTT series a retelling of the 2010 ‘kaand’ in Haryana’s Mirchpur. How caste violence had unfolded

The show, ‘Kaand 2010’, aims to highlight the prevalence of caste discrimination in society brought to the fore during the violence in the Haryana village.

Edited by Sushil Manav

Gurugram: A new socio-political drama has brought the issue of deep-seated caste discrimination in society into focus again.

Kaand 2010, released on 20 December on OTT platform Stage, is based on a real incident that occurred in Mirchpur village of Haryana where two Dalit residents were burnt alive and many others were forced to flee their homes amid escalating tensions with dominant caste groups.

In the Haryana Assembly elections that concluded in October, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had highlighted the Mirchpur kaand (scandal) to portray the Congress as anti-Dalits because it happened under the government of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Hooda’s detractors had accused him of favouring members of the Jat community and denying justice to the Dalits.

Speaking to ThePrint, actor Yashpal Sharma, who plays the main character Bhool Singh, said that the series aims to send a message that it is important to protect the bhaichara (brotherhood) in villages.

Sharma is best known for his roles in movies such as Lagaan (2001), Gangaajal (2003), and Singh Is Kinng (2008).

Actor Hariom Kaushik said that since the Mirchpur kaand remained a national headline for months, the producers of the series thought of using this as a subject.

Also Read: Khap in Charkhi Dadri bans celebratory firing. Offenders to face fine, police action & social boycott

What happened during 2010 incident

The Mirchpur incident, often referred to as the Mirchpur kaand, began with an altercation between members of the Dalit and Jat communities over a barking dog on the night of 19 April, 2010.

On the following day, an angry mob of 200 people from the dominant Jat community returned to the Dalit basti (settlement) and set the houses ablaze. Tara Chand, a 70-year-old Dalit man, and his 18-year-old disabled daughter, Suman, were burnt alive in their home. Many others were injured and over 150 Dalit families were displaced as they fled the village out of fear.

The local administration and police were accused of inaction. Reports suggested that the police failed to prevent the attack despite knowing about the brewing tension in the village.

Around 150 victims escaped to Delhi and took refuge at the Balmiki temple near Connaught Place after the incident.

The trial

In August 2010, Haryana Police arrested 103 accused after orders from the Supreme Court. On 9 January, 2011, 98 of the accused were transferred to Tihar Jail from Hisar Jail.

The court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case on 20 January, 2011, and the trial was held in Delhi.

P.K. Sandhir, a senior lawyer from Hisar who appeared for the accused, told ThePrint that in 2011, a trial court in Delhi convicted 15 people and acquitted 82 others due to lack of evidence.

In 2018, the Delhi High Court increased the punishment for several convicts, including life sentences for some. The court termed the incident a “grotesque manifestation of caste-based violence”.

The Mirchpur incident became a rallying point for Dalit rights movements across the country. Organisations such as the Bhim Army and others used the incident to demand stricter laws and better implementation of existing protections for marginalised communities.

Directed by Rajesh Amarlal Babbar, Kaand 2010 is being lauded for its authentic depiction of rural Haryana and the socio-political issues therein. The supporting cast includes Ashish Nehra, Yogesh Bhardwaj, Akanksha Bhardwaj, Chetna Sarser, Kuldeep Singh, Armaan Ahlawat, Meena Malik, and Hariom Kaushik.

Courtesy : The Print

Note: This news is originally published on timesofindia.com and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially for human rights.