Amid fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the dreadful incident of an eviction drive from the state of Madhya Pradesh has shocked and appalled the nation after the disturbing visuals emerged from the spot shown how the police force thrashed a Dalit couple to evacuate them from the land they occupied in a bid to construct a college. 

After being forced to vacate the land, the Dalit couple consumed pesticide in a suicide attempt as their plantations on the land was destroyed by the state revenue department officials to start the construction. The couple drunk the pesticide in front of their children  who were seen screaming and crying around their parents while police surrounded the family with the motive of clearing them from the land.

According to the reports, Ramkumar Ahirwar has been cultivating corps on the land which is the only bread-winning source for the family which lives under a hut. The government claimed that the couple was cultivating the corps in the piece of land that was owned by the state government. The district administration of Guna has decided to construct a college on the land following which the authorities deployed an eviction drive to clear the family from the land. 

The Tehsildar of Guna City, who oversaw the eviction drive that happened on July 14 - Tuesday, said that the farmer couple attempted to kill themselves by consuming poison when the encroachment was being removed with the JCB machines. According to the government, around 5.5 acres of public land had been reserved in 2018 for building a college and Ahirwar allegedly encroached the land. 

However, Ram Kumar Ahirwar (38) and Savitri Devi (35) have claimed that they had been farming there for years. They said, "We have been farming on the land for a long time and we don't have other options but to kill ourselves as our crops have been destroyed". After consuming the pesticide, they were taken to the government hospital where they are getting treated. 

The visuals from the spot show that the police officers allegedly dragging the couple into the ambulance in the albeit of knowing they have consumed pesticides. Along with the shocking eviction drive, the police had booked an FIR against Ahirwar, Savitri Devi, and other locals present under sections 353 - assaulting the public servant, 309 - attempt to suicide under the IPC. 

The Inspector-General (IG) of Gwalior range said that the real squatter of the government land is Dabbu Pardhi, who has several criminal cases against him and he has leased a piece of land for Ahirwar's family for cultivating crops and the IG denied the dreadful approach from the police officers and said that the police were actually trying to repel the local residents who were protesting against the cops from taking the couple to the hospital. 

Meanwhile, Guna District Collector said that police were pushed to act after the couple drank the pesticide and if the police refrained from acting and taking them to the hospital, the couple could have died. According to the reports, the visuals from the spot had gone viral across the nation pushing the state government to initiate its action. The BJP led state government has removed the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Guna following the massive outrage and resentments. 

The order of removal was passed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that a high-level probe has been ordered into the matter. After the videos emerged which showed the police abusing and pushing the children of the parents, the opposition leaders have strongly condemned the act and demanded strict action against the responsible. 

हमारी लड़ाई इसी सोच और अन्याय के ख़िलाफ़ है। pic.twitter.com/egGjgY5Awm

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 16, 2020

Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath took to Twitter and said Chief Minister Chouhan has been running a 'jungle raj' in the state. The former added that the government should initiate stern action against those responsible. Congress leader and former party President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter on Thursday and shared the video and said "Our fight is against this thinking and injustice".