The Dalits from Jevargi taluk, Karnataka, were badly assaulted by the people from upper caste as these Dalits tried to take part in the festival of the Kondaguli village deity.
The blood they shed, the pain and the insult drove the Dalits to take a bold decision. They brought out the portraits of gods kept inside their houses. They collected and threw them together to finally set them on fire on February 11. The Dalits were beaten up during the village festival on February 9.
The God-Goddesses, which could not save them from the insult and assault for decades, is of no use at all, the angry people said. "We were beaten black and blue because we took part in the Hindu festival, so let us not have the Hindu Gods in our houses," they said.
Currently, 15 people have been arrested regarding the assault on Dalits. The situation in the village is under control, but to avert any untoward incident, tight security has been provided to the village.