By IANS,
Jaipur : A Dalit bridegroom in a Rajasthan village had to seek police protection to ride a mare as part of his marriage rituals following opposition from upper caste residents, police said Saturday.
Police said the villagers had threatened to harm the youth and his family members if he passed by their houses mounted on a horse on his wedding eve Friday.
The incident took place in a village near Saradhana town in Ajmer district, some 150 km from Jaipur.
“On his wedding eve on Friday, the groom, Himmat Singh, was to go to the temples in the evening mounted on a mare to seek god’s blessings. The tradition is called ‘nikasi’,” a police officer told IANS.
As soon as the upper caste villagers came to know that a Dalit youth was to pass by their house riding on a mare, they started gathering near Singh’s house.
“A tiff between the groom’s family members and the villagers took place. The villages said that they would not let the youth mount the mare as it is allowed only for people belonging to the upper castes. The family members informed the police following which a team from the nearby police station was rushed to the spot,” said the officer.
The youth and his family members completed the ritual under police protection.
Police force has been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.