UP Dalit man’s head shaved, paraded over religious conversion

The Dalit man was dragged to a local temple where he was forced to bow down and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.

In a disturbing incident of caste-based violence, a Dalit man identified as Shubran Paswan was subjected to public humiliation by Hindutva groups affiliated with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district on Friday, December 27.

The incident unfolded when Paswan was accused of converting to Christianity. The Hindutva groups confronted him aggressively shaved his head, beat him with shoes and dragged him to a local temple where he was forced to bow down and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.

A video of the disturbing assault that has surfaced on social media shows Paswan visibly distressed being escorted by the aggressive crowd and paraded through the streets of their villages amid “Jai Shri Ram” chants.

Police refused to register complaint: Dalit man

Paswan alleged that he was not only physically assaulted but also psychological abuse and being subjected to casteist slurs such as “chamar” during the incident.

He further alleged that despite his attempts to file a formal complaint, the police refused to register his case, a move that has ignited outrage from Dalit community members.

The police authorities’ alleged inaction promoted protests with social activities demanding accountability and justice. Additionally, Pawan submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate demanding strict action against the perpetrators.

Dalit man wanted to reconvert: Bajrang Dal

On the other hand, a senior leader of Bajrang Dal and VHP attempted to justify the incident claiming that Paswan had converted to Christianity and later approached them expressing a desire to “return to Sanatan Dharma”.

While the Hindutva leaders framed the incident as a voluntary act, the aggression displayed in the video depicts a different picture. Critics argue that the incident was less about religion and more about asserting dominance over marginalized communities and the lack of legal repercussion encourages extremists to conduct this kind of hostile attack.

Courtesy : TSD

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