Draft:Kafalta Massacre
 | Draft article not currently submitted for review.
This is a draft Articles for creation (AfC) submission. It is not currently pending review. While there are no deadlines, abandoned drafts may be deleted after six months. To edit the draft click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. To be accepted, a draft should:
It is strongly discouraged to write about yourself, your business or employer. If you do so, you must declare it. Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Last edited by Auric (talk | contribs) 80 seconds ago. (Update) |
Kafalta Massacre
[edit]The Kafalta Massacre is a tragic event that occurred on May 9, 1980, in the village of Kafalta, located in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, India. This incident is remembered as a grim reminder of caste violence and social injustice in the region's history. [1]
Background
[edit]The incident began during the wedding procession of Shyam Prasad, a Dalit groom belonging to the Lohar caste from Biralgaon in Almora. As the procession passed through Kafalta village, some upper-caste women (Brahmin) demanded that the groom dismount from his palanquin(Doli) as a mark of respect to the local Badrinath temple. The Dalit community agreed that the groom would get down near the temple itself, but this refusal to comply immediately led to tensions.[1]
In the heated argument that followed, Khemanand (Brahmin), an ex-serviceman from the village, overturned the groom's palanquin in anger. Enraged and humiliated, the Dalits retaliated, and in the conflict that ensued, Khemanand was killed.
The Massacre
[edit]Following Khemanand's death, upper-caste villagers (thakur / rajput) launched a brutal attack. Dalits, fearing for their lives, sought shelter in the home of Nari Ram (dalit), the only Dalit resident of Kafalta village. The Thakurs surrounded the house, broke through the roof, and set it ablaze. Six people were burned alive in the fire, while eight others who attempted to flee were caught and beaten to death in the nearby fields. In total, 14 Dalits lost their lives in the massacre.
Survivors' Testimony
[edit]Among the survivors was Jagat Prakash, a 16-year-old boy at the time. He managed to escape but was later recaptured by the mob. As they prepared to throw him back into the burning house, Harak Singh, a local shopkeeper, intervened and hid him in a cowshed until the police arrived and rescued him three days later.
Victims
[edit]The victims of the Kafalta massacre were:
- Ban Ram
- Bir Ram
- Gusain Ram
- Mohan Ram
- Bhairav Prasad
- All Ram
- Mohan Ram
- Bachi Ram
- Madho Ram
- Ram Kishan
- Jhus Ram
- Prem Ram
- Ram Prasad
- Gopal Ram[1]
Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
[edit]Initially, both the lower court and the High Court acquitted all the accused due to a lack of evidence. However, after years of struggle, in 1997, the Supreme Court of India sentenced 16 individuals to life imprisonment. By this time, three accused had already passed away.