Etawah: A full-blown caste conflict has erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district after members of the Yadav community launched a fierce protest against the public humiliation of two Hindu religious narrators (kathavachaks), both from the backward caste. The incident has reignited tensions over caste dominance in religious spaces and triggered political uproar across the state.
On Thursday, hundreds of members of Yadav outfits and the Ahir Regiment surrounded the Bakewar police station, demanding justice for kathavachaks Mukut Mani Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav, who were allegedly assaulted and degraded by a group of upper-caste men in Dandarpur village. Protesters demanded the release of Gagan Yadav—arrested in connection with the unrest—and the withdrawal of what they termed as false cases against the two preachers.
The anger stems from a deeply disturbing incident that took place during a Bhagwat Katha event earlier this week. A group of upper-caste villagers allegedly confronted the two narrators, accused them of concealing their caste identity, and subjected them to public humiliation. In a viral video, the attackers are seen forcibly tonsuring the heads of the kathavachaks, snatching their religious items like the kanthi mala, and making them rub their noses on their shoes as an act of caste punishment.
The mob was heard shouting, “You are being punished for entering a Brahmin village,”—a line that has since become symbolic of the caste divide the incident has exposed.
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Reacting to the video and widespread public outrage, Etawah police arrested four individuals—Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey—for their role in the assault. However, in a controversial move, the police also booked Mukut Mani Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav under fraud charges, accusing them of creating fake Aadhaar cards and hiding their caste to conduct the religious discourse.
This move enraged the Yadav community, with protestors calling the police action biased and discriminatory. "This is a clear case of caste oppression. First, they were humiliated for being Yadavs, now the administration is punishing them instead of protecting them," a protester said.
In a tearful statement, kathavachak Sant Singh Yadav said, “They beat us mercilessly, stripped us of our dignity, and humiliated us in front of the whole village. I felt like I had no right to live. My children cried, I cried. No one should ever go through this.”
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The Samajwadi Party, which draws significant support from the Yadav community, also jumped into the fray, with party chief Akhilesh Yadav sharing the video on social media and demanding justice.
As Etawah simmers with tension, police have stepped up security in sensitive areas and assured a full investigation. But for now, the incident has laid bare the deep-rooted caste fissures that continue to haunt India’s social and religious fabric.
