To discuss the growing incidents of atrocities and violence against Dalits in Uttarakhand in recent years, the Ambedkar Vichar Manch and the CPI(ML) organised a Dalit Rights Conference at Gopeshwar, the headquarters of Chamoli district, on 30 June.
It is commonly claimed by the majority section of society that casteism or caste-based discrimination does not exist in Uttarakhand, a state with a predominantly upper-caste population. At a superficial level, many people accept this as true. However, a deeper examination reveals that, despite modernity, caste and caste-based discrimination remain deeply entrenched and often manifest in extremely distorted and brutal forms.
Recently, Ketan Lal, a minor Dalit youth from Deval village in Pratapnagar block of Tehri district, was brutally murdered over a relationship with an upper-caste girl. What followed was an attempt to mobilise public support in favour of the accused.
Three years ago, in 2023, when Joshimath land subsidence began, the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti led a movement demanding rehabilitation, resettlement, and stabilization of the town. Despite the government's claims, even three years later the issues of displacement and rehabilitation remain unresolved, with the weakest sections of society being the worst affected.
Recently, when the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti organised a 48-hour sit-in on the issues of displacement and rehabilitation, it was naturally the weaker sections of society who participated in the largest numbers. The protest was viewed through a casteist lens and dismissed as a demonstration of the weaker sections, leading some people to avoid participating in it.
The conference witnessed encouraging participation from Gopeshwar, Joshimath, and other places. During the four-and-a-half-hour programme, students, youth, employees, women, and political and social activists shared their experiences of caste discrimination in detail and emphasized the need to eliminate caste in all its forms in contemporary society.
Among those who addressed the conference were Deepak Tamta, President of the Ambedkar Vichar Manch; Girish Chandra Arya of the Shilpkar Sabha; Sunil Kaparwal; Pushkar Lal Bechhwal; Vinod Shah, Laxmi Devi, Deep Chand, Devendra Rana, Mohan Lal Arya, and Madan Lohani of the CPI(ML); Dr. Sumit Ringwal; AISA leader Priyanka Khatri; HNB Garhwal University Students' Union Vice President Shivank Nautiyal; Sumit Rawat; Sandeep; Rajendra Lal; and Shami.
The conference was introduced by CPI(ML) Garhwal Secretary Atul Sati, while the keynote address was delivered by CPI(ML) State Secretary Indresh Maikhuri. It was resolved to continue organising such conferences for discussion and reflection, and to carry forward the struggle for justice for Ketan.
