Etawah: A caste-linked conflict has erupted in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh following the alleged assault and public humiliation of two Hindu religious narrators (kathavachaks), Mukut Mani Yadav and his assistant Sant Singh Yadav.
The situation escalated further after the police booked the kathavachaks themselves for allegedly using fake identity documents and concealing their caste to deliver religious discourses.
The incident triggered intense protests on Thursday, with activists from the ‘Ahir Regiment’ and Yadav organisations staging a massive demonstration outside Bakewar police station. Protesters demanded the immediate release of Gagan Yadav — accused in the assault case — and the withdrawal of cases filed against the kathavachaks. Chants rang out and traffic came to a standstill as demonstrators blocked the road and raised slogans against the police action.
Local anger was palpable as participants, including activists from surrounding districts, rallied in solidarity, claiming the kathavachaks were being unfairly targeted on caste lines. Protesters insisted that the police take strict action against those who physically assaulted the kathavachaks and publicly shamed them.
According to reports, an FIR has been lodged against four individuals for assaulting the kathavachaks. Meanwhile, police also filed a case of fraud against Mukut Mani Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav, accusing them of making a fake Aadhaar card and hiding their caste identity during the recitation of religious texts.
Kathavachak Sant Singh Yadav, while fighting back tears, said: “We had lost all hope. I felt like I had no reason to live. My children were crying, I was crying. I was tortured in the name of caste. They took away my mala, broke my kanthi, shaved my head, and forced me to rub my nose on their shoes. I would not wish this upon anyone.”
A group of upper caste men allegedly tonsured the head of a religious preacher and his aide after finding that they hailed from the Yadav community. After the video of the tonsuring went viral on social media, police swung into action and arrested four persons, including the main accused.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Etawah, Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said: “A video pertaining to Bakewar police station went viral on social media on Monday, in which it could be seen that after the Bhagwat Katha, villagers were misbehaving with two people, and cutting their hair despite their unwillingness”.
The four accused have been identified as Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey, all residents of Dandarpur.