Maya Sarki’s testimony, mysansar.com
I was returning home that evening when someone grabbed me from the back. Before I could scream for help,he pushed me to the ground and covered my mouth. It was already dark so I couldn’t recognise the attacker, I presumed it was Jiwan from the village. He had me in a chokehold and began forcing himself on me. When I bit his hand and screamed for help he threatened to kill me and strangled me again.
It was only when people from nearby houses came out with torch lights that the attacker ran away. Judging by his voice I thought my assailant was Jiwan and told the police that I could recognise him by the bite marks in his hand. But when Jiwan was brought to the police station I saw no signs of injury on his hands. So I believed I had wrongly accused him. On my way back home, Jiwan’s mother slapped me and said that since I was a Dalit I would not be able to do anything and I would pay for my actions.
A village meeting was called on Monday morning to sort things out in the village. But since the meeting didn’t begin until 8 so I left for work. Later when I was called to the meeting everyone started calling me names and asked me who made me go to the police station. When I said I did it out of my own will, the mob suddenly started punching and slapping me. They tore my clothes, covered my face in soot, and made me wear a shoe garland.
I even apologised to Jiwan and said that I wouldn’t repeat what I did. But the mob just wouldn’t stop.
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