Ghaziabad: Days after 236 Valmikis in Karera village of Ghaziabad converted to Buddhism, a number of them have alleged that the local police are forcing them to make statements on camera that no such event took place. The police, however, denied the allegations.
Pawan (he now goes by just his maiden name),who was one of the organisers of the mass conversion event that took place on 14 October, told ThePrint that he was forcibly taken to the Saidabad police station in Ghaziabad Tuesday night.
“I was taken to the thana and pressured by the SDM (sub-divisional magistrate) and police officers to confess on camera that Rajratna Ambedkar had only come for a meeting and no conversion took place,” said the 27-year-old. “I was forced by them to say that the news of conversion is fake and are only rumours.”
The conversion event took place under the tutelage of Rajratna Ambedkar, the great grand-nephew of B.R. Ambedkar.
Pawan told ThePrint that he refused to make any such statement and was able to return because an entire group of men who had converted along with him had accompanied him to the police station and were able to convince the officers to let him go.
He, however, alleged that the SDM and the local nagar nigam councillor keep insisting that he meet them. “I do not know why the councillor and the SDM keep asking me to meet them in their office in the evenings,” he said “I feel unsafe and hence did not visit them when they called me on Wednesday.”
Police have been deployed in the village.
Vishnu Kaushik, the SHO of Saidabad police station, however, denied Pawan’s charges. “The police have been deployed for the safety of the people and we haven’t touched anyone yet,” he said.
The police, however, registered an FIR against unknown people based on the complaint of one Montu Valmiki.
“The news of the conversion is a rumour to spread caste-based tensions in the village. The certificates have no name, official signatures or registration numbers. These can be easily forged,” reads the FIR.
It has been filed under IPC sections 153-A ( those who indulge in wanton vilification or attacks upon the religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc of any particular group or class or upon the founders and prophets of a religion) and 505 (intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community).
“We have registered the complaint and will look into the matter. No arrests have been made so far,” Kaushik told ThePrint.
The members of the Valmiki community in Karera said Montu does not live in or have any links to the village.
ThePrint contacted Ghaziabad SDM D.P. Singh through phone but he said he was in an area without proper mobile connectivity and would call back. This report will be updated when a response is received.
Local nagar nigam councillor Vijendra Chauhan, however, told ThePrint that no conversion had taken place.
“I went door to door in the colony and none of them claimed to have converted,” he said, adding they other religions won’t “accept them” because they “have been butchering pigs for generations”.
“The reports of religious conversion are false. It is possible that Ambedkar’s grandson visited them and shared some photos and books with them but no conversion has happened,” Chauhan added.
“These people are just looking for ways to get attention from the media and the administration. Every time an official visits, they will put forward their demand for jobs or pucca houses.”
The Valmikis, who are Dalits, had alleged discrimination by the ‘upper-caste’ Chauhans, who are in majority in the village, as the reason behind their decision to convert. They had also cited the alleged Hathras gangrape-murder incident as the proverbial “last straw” for their decision. Karera, according to its residents, has a population of about 9,000, of whom 5,000 are Chauhans, while 2,000 are Valmikis. The rest are outsiders who have settled here.
Also read: In Hathras gangrape-murder probe, CBI finds marksheet that suggests one suspect is a minor
Police deployed, villagers say they are scared
Ever since the news of the conversion made headlines, the villagers said, police personnel have been deployed in the Valmiki locality.
“A large number of police personnel came Tuesday night. They patrolled for hours,” Sunita, a local resident, said. “They stayed here through the night, outside our houses. They even took some of the younger boys of the community with them on the first night.”
When ThePrint visited Thursday, police officers in both civilian clothes and uniforms were seen in the area.
“We have deployed police here to ensure the safety of the people who have converted. We are trying to ensure that there are no fights, sit-in protests or dharnas,” said Prakash Singh, the tehsildar of Loni district. “We don’t have any ill intentions, media reports mentioned that there are tensions here, which is why the force has been deployed.”
The villagers, however, said the police presence is to prevent more such conversions, adding that they were scared.
“We haven’t been able to eat or sleep in the last 48 hours,” said 70-year-old Prakashi Valmiki. “The night they took Pawan to the police station, we could not sleep all night in fear. I have never seen so many police wallas in my entire life.”
Her husband, 75-year-old Inderjeet Maharaj, added, “I haven’t slept in two nights. I worry for the safety of the young people. With so many media people, villagers are saying whatever that comes to their minds. I don’t want them to get into any more trouble.”
Maharaj said there is a fear in the Valmiki locality that if any fight breaks out, the police will immediately arrest them. “We know they (police) are just waiting for a fight,” he said. “So many people from other villages and netas are coming here every hour. The police are simply waiting for a single argument to happen so that they can make arrests.”
Sunita, who is also related to Pawan, said she is deeply hurt by the allegations made against him.
BJP MLA Nandkishore Gurjar had reportedly told the media that Pawan had links with Dawood Ibrahim, and that he was planning a conspiracy to instigate communal instability.
“Had we had such powerful links and money as the MLA has alleged, wouldn’t we be living in better conditions?” Sunita said.
Pawan said they were “deeply troubled and feel harassed” by the attitude of the state administration. “But we will not change our religion again. Buddhism gives us dignity that the Hindu religion could not give to generations of Valmikis.”
Also read: BJP issues notice to UP MLA whose aide ‘shot’ a man, but that has meant little in past cases
Politics creeps in
The matter turned political when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called members of the community to his Delhi office for a meeting. He had a conversation with them and also promised to visit the village soon.
Pawan, who was among those who visited the CM, said, “He asked us the reason why we converted, asked us how our families were doing and promised to visit us. I don’t know if this is being considered a political issue?”
Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh had taken to Twitter talking about the meeting.
आदित्यनाथ के राज में दलितों के लिये न्याय नही है दलितों के साथ हत्त्या बलात्कार जैसी घटनायें हो रहीं हैं दलित समाज पीड़ित है हाथरस कांड से आक्रोशित हिन्दू धर्म छोड़ने वाले बाल्मीकी समाज के लोगों ने दिल्ली के CM @ArvindKejriwal जी से मुलाक़ात कर अपना दर्द साझा किया। pic.twitter.com/YzWVDkZ7o3
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) October 21, 2020
Singh also visited the village on 22 October.
सुनो योगी जी बाल्मीकी समाज में भारी ग़ुस्सा है आप लोग दलित समाज के लोगों को ISI का एजेंट कहते हैं, भाजपा ने कहा “आतंकवादी संगठनों से फंड लेकर बाल्मीकी समाज ने धर्म परिवर्तन किया” भाजपा ने दलितों का घोर अपमान किया योगी जी बाल्मीकी समाज आपसे इस अपमान का हिसाब ज़रूर लेगा। pic.twitter.com/xjUvPKlfUg
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) October 22, 2020