Caste war may break out in the ravines

RAVINES ARE all set to witness another caste war following the March 14 killings by dacoit Jagjeevan Parihar in Etawah villages.

Police said Janmed Singh Parihar, Karan Singh Parihar and Mahesh Jatav, who were killed by the Parihar gang, were police informers. They were once working for the dacoit. 

Caste clashes are not new in the ravines. Ironically, those who were suppressed once by the Gujjars and the Thakurs, provided tacit support to Jagjieevan Parihar, a Thakur.

Ravines witnessed dacoits from time to time. Once, it was ruled by Fakkad, a Brahmin. Then came the era of Lala Ram and Shri Ram, also Thakurs, followed by one more Thakur dacoit Ramesh Kachoha. Rajjan, Nirbhay and Salim, all are Gujjars, a lower caste, ruled the ravines for a phenomenal time dethroning the Thakurs. Now, a fresh threat is coming from Jagjeevan Parihar, a Thakur, who swore to kill 101 people of the Brahmin community.

Parihar’s entry into the ravines is an interesting tale. Police said Jagjeevan’s first murder was of a Brahmin living in his native village Chaurela in Etawah. “That was the beginning of an era as Jagjeevan enjoyed the support of Thakurs, who were earlier tortured by the Gujjars and the Brahmins.” 

Some police officials, who spent a considerable time in the ravines, admit that Jagjeevan, a Thakur by birth, had bitter relationship with Salim Gujjar and Rajjan Gujjar. Even after becoming the numero uno of the ravines, Jagjeevan couldn’t see eye to eye with Mangali Kevat, who was active in the ravines. He compelled Kevat to make an exit from the ravines. This is evident from the fact that now-a-days Kevat is hiding in the Kanpur Dehat villages.

Sources said when Salim Gujjar was calling the shots in the ravines, Jagjeevan was a mere member of his gang and when Nirbhay started emerging, Jagjeevan for some time even provided information to the police to eliminate Salim Gujjar.

Though, Salim survived the attack, the tip-off provided by Jagjeevan was sufficient to cause damage in the gang. The encounter that took place on May 15, 2005 in which seven Salim gang members were gunned down by the police proved costly for Salim and he has been struggling since to win back his lost ground.

Jagjeevan who spent some time with Nirbhay and broke the Thakurs members of the gang and later played a pivotal role in the killing of Nirbhay Gujjar though in an encounter.

Ravine watchers say a widespread discontentment is brewing among the Brahmins and other lower caste people of the adjoining areas  of UP and Madhya Pradesh and they may support the dacoits of their castes if Jagjeevan goes untamed in the ravines.