Bhopal: In a spine-chilling incident from Madhya Pradesh's Chambal region, where deeply embedded feudal tendencies and machismo seldom make people turn their heads, two Dalit kids – a boy and a girl – were beaten to death for outrageously farcical reason. Their ‘crime’: Cousins Rohshani, 12, and Avinash, 10, were defecating in open near a panchayat building four days ago at Bhavkhedi village in Shivpuri district.
Predictably, while many from law enforcing would like to treat the incident as just another crime, the issue has once again brought in focus deep caste divides in rural areas. The barbaric act triggered anger in the district and there was an outpouring of emotions on the social media with many baying for capital punishment to the killers. This apart, there were demands from some quarters that the case be heard in a fast-track court. The two accused have already been arrested.
In the Shivpuri district, which shares border with Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, crimes over land disputes are common and caste divisions are pronounced, but the twin murders that borders on plain savagery tells a lot about the mindset. Sociologists feel that urgent steps are required to stop recurrence of this type of madness. Social experts say incidents like these are not just law and order issues.
In her tweet over the issue Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed shock over the inhuman act. “I urge Kamal Nath ji to take stern action against the culprits,” she tweeted.
BSP supremo Mayawati also demanded stern action against those behind the incident. BSP state unit president Ramakant Pippal met members of the aggrieved family.
A professor of social science sums up the killings, saying, “It is shameful. We lost two innocent and promising lives for no fault of theirs. The government must take urgent steps so that people do not take law in their hands. It must be socially condemned. There is no religious and social sanctions for such acts and such act cannot be pardoned. “
Manoj Balmiki, father of Avinash, alleged that his family was subjected to harassment in the past as well. According to police, when interrogated one of the two accused — Hakim Yadav and Rameshwar Yadav, the former began acting like a man possessed. The accused told police that the God in his dream told him to kill the “rakshasas’.
