Rahul bridges gap between two communities by laying new road

Badanavalu: The Bharat Jodo Yatra launched by Congress party has witnessed a union of upper class Lingayats and Dalits in the village on Sunday. Rahul Gandhi, who is on Bharat Jodo Yatra, celebrated Gandhi Jayanti at Badanavalu Khadi Gramodyog Kendra. He won the hearts of the villagers with his sympathy, sharing of food .

Badanavalu, a tiny village off Mysore-Chamarajanagar state highway hit the national headlines when three Dalits in the village were killed by upper class Lingayats on March 25,1993.Three Dalits were brutally murdered by a mob of Lingayats after the dispute over entry of Dalits into a Siddeshwara temple . The death of the Dalits led to a public debate on the safety of Dalits in the state besides causing deep division between communities, particularly between the Dalits and Lingayats who dominate the region.

However, before the wounds of this social-hatred were healed, Dalits went retaliated and set on fire several houses of Lingayats at a nearby village called Ummathur. Following widespread protests the state government handed over the case to CBI. Of the 23 accused, twenty men were convicted of killing three Dalits during the Badanavalu clashes in 1993, and were finally sentenced to life imprisonment on November 4, 2010.

Since the past 29 years both communities did not have cordial relationship. On Sunday Rahul Gandhi invited both communities for lunch and caused reunion of both communities. Rahul Gandhi also inaugurated the 180-metre long road ,developed with pavers ,which was not in use since last 29 years following clash. Rahul also named after the road as Bharat Jodo road and planted saplings at Khadi gramodyog Kendra premises to mark his visit.

Speaking to this paper on Sunday Badanavalu gram panchayat member and Lingayat community leader B N Manjunath told that the road filled with bushes and parthenium as both communities not using it after clash. Now the rift between both communities has ended and a rapport has created. He said the visit of Rahul Gandhi has boosted spirit of unity among both communities.

When contacted N Vishwanath (72) elder of Dalit community said that 'Though the communities were not using the road , we are not enemies. Since after the 1993 clashes not even a single clash was reported in the village'. He agreed that both communities never shared table, this is for first time in history of the village both community elders have lunch in same table.