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Talhan Had A Caste,
Now It Is Getting Religion Too

S P Singh

Talhan (Jalandhar):

Caste and religion often act as twins, particularly when these are used to drive a wedge into an otherwise harmonious commune. So, when Jats of Talhan village in Jalandhar blocked out dalits from the management of a cash-rich shrine, everyone suddenly turned towards religion – not for solace but to emphatically farm out the social space in tension-ravaged village polity.  

So, Jat managers of the shrine, projected as a gurdwara by the Jats, suddenly became Amritdharis, sporting kirpans and turbans, something which many of them had not done for years.

Similarly, Dalits turned all their attention to a new shrine's construction and fund-collection for Guru Ravi Dass Mandir became intensely important.

To an outsider, the village seems full of the God-fearing, and the temple domes can be seen from miles away.

"There is a Jat gurdwara, a dalit gurdwara, the jhagrre wala (controversial) gurdwara and Ravi Dass Mandir. But everyone is concerned about the controversial shrine because it rakes in maximum offerings," said Sadhu Ram, a leader of the village's dalits who is now fighting for justice after Jats issued written boycott calls against dalits.

What can be worse than a caste-ravaged village? A religion-ravaged village. Dalits clearly see the baptisation condition as a ploy to keep them out of the samadh shrine's management. Saner elements said with Jat managers now quoting SGPC and Akal Takht directives to the dalits, the situation can only worsen.

Adding to this trouble cauldron is the role of many an outsider who are only stoking the fires further, a fact which the district administration as well as the police confirmed.

"Crores (of rupees) are at stake, and everyone wants a hand in the cookie jar. But for the role of outsiders, the problem could have been resolved by now," said a senior administration official directly concerned with the issue.

In fact, the religion card has been imported into this village by the outsiders. And confirming it is none other than Sarpanch Mohinder Singh Bains, himself accused of issuing proclamation of dalits’ boycott. Bains now wants to mend fences with dalits, but is angry that outsiders have edged him out. 

He named local veterinary doctor Amrik Singh Kahlon, Joginder Jogi, Khajula village sarpanch Dhian Singh and Bhakhrian village's Jang Bahadur as those who are aggravating the problem. Kahlon told The Indian Express that it was Jogi who made them aware of the religion’s importance. He now wants credit for spreading what he calls "awareness" about religion but this is exactly what dalits see as "the new scheme to deprive them of their rights." 

"Dalits can become shrine managers only if they become amritdharis,"

Kahlon said, but dalits know the religion argument is not to include them, but to rather keep them excluded.

As for the police, the dalits are fed up with the inquiry they themselves asked for. "Every few days, inquiry officer L K Yadav summons us for statements. We have repeated umpteen times the same thing, but he does not seem tired out. We have decided not to cooperate any further on this," the dalits said.

SSP Varinder Kumar remained unavailable for two days, while DC K Siva Prasad said he has been keeping an eye on the village and was aware of the tension there. "We will resolve the matter soon," he said. But as time passes, both caste and religion are getting permanent resident status in the village.■  

April 8, 2003

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