A four-member CPIML fact-finding team, led by party member Jeera Bharti from the All India Agricultural and Rural Labour Association (AIARLA), visited Dhauha village in the Chunar police station area of Mirzapur on Saturday, October 26. The team met with the family of Ram Achal, a Dalit man who was brutally murdered over a land dispute.
On October 22, armed feudal-criminals stormed the home of 70-year-old Ram Achal, resulting in his death. Nine other family members, including six women, sustained serious injuries, many with head wounds, and were admitted to the district hospital.
After meeting with the victim's family, the team visited the injured in the hospital. Comrade Jeera Bharti stated that the Dalit family had been living on and farming five bighas of Gram Samaj land for over 40 years. A man from Varanasi had fraudulently acquired a deed for the land and later sold it to Rajeev Gupta, a resident of Mirzapur. The Dalit family had taken the matter to court, and a recent ruling from the civil court was in their favour. Ram Achal’s name was also listed in the official land records. A day before the attack, on October 21, the family had ploughed the land in preparation for planting potatoes. Following the murder, Ram Achal’s son lodged an FIR, and some of the attackers have since been arrested.
In a report released on Sunday, the CPIML investigation team stated that upper-caste criminals have become emboldened under the Yogi Adityanath government, resulting in a surge of violent attacks on Dalits. The report noted that Uttar Pradesh continues to lead in incidents of atrocities against Dalits, due to the complicity of the government and police administration.
The CPI(ML) team called for the attackers to be charged with murder and given stringent punishment. They also demanded proper medical treatment for the injured, regularization of the land in favour of the Dalit family, and government jobs, protection, and adequate compensation for the victim’s family.
Other members of the investigation team included Omprakash Patel, district president of the All India Kisan Mahasabha, Raj Kumar Patel, and Vasant.
