Dalit family threatens to convert after attack

KANPUR: A Dalit family comprising of 24 members from Tendura village under Bisanda police station in Banda has threatened to convert to some other religion, alleging murderous attack on half-a-dozen women inmates by members of the Thakur community. The family on Saturday met senior police officers and demanded stringent action against the accused. In his complaint, Santosh alleged the attack took place on Thursday. While all male members of the family had gone to Allahabad, one Sant Ram Singh, his two sons--Amit Singh and Lalu Singh, and two others, armed with lathis and sticks barged into the house and severely assaulted the women members, including his 60-year-old wife, he alleged in the complaint.He further alleged the women members of the house had gone to collect cowdung cakes to which their Thakur neighbours objected and claimed it belonged to them. Talking to TOI, Santosh said the family has decided to convert to some other religion on account of constant discrimination and harassment they suffered at the hands of upper caste Hindus. "As ours is the only Dalit family in the village, the Thakurs want to grab our house and in the process they abuse and threaten us on regular basis. They say we are a 'curse' for their village and are forcing us to migrate to some other place or be ready to face dire consequences," Santosh said. "What has peeved us is that on Thursday they didn't spare even my 16-year-old grand daughter and my 60-year-old wife, who had suffered serious injuries in the attack. We are upset that police didn't arrest the trouble-makers, who are roaming free and threatening us.""Though we had lodged complaints with the local police, but officials failed to take any action. We have no option but to convert to some other religion," Santosh alleged. DSP Om Prakash said, "The matter is being probed and law will take its course. All possible measures are being adopted to ease out tension in the village."