Palanpur: Simmering tension over an inter-community love marriage escalated into clashes in Unn village of Banaskantha district, leaving at least nine people, including four policemen, injured in stone pelting and a large number of vehicles vandalized.Members of the Chaudhary and Rabari communities came face-to-face, forcing the police to burst tear gas shells to disperse the violent mob.“We are in the process of lodging an FIR. The clashes between the two communities stemmed from an old dispute. We talked with representatives of both groups for nearly two to three hours to maintain peace, but the mob started attacking the cops,” said Parikshita Rathod, Range IG, Banaskantha.Police sources said the dispute stems from the marriage of a woman from Runi village in Bhabhar taluka, who had eloped and married Mahadev Rabari from Unn village in Kankrej taluka two years ago. The couple now has a six-month-old son and live together.However, tensions resurfaced recently after another inter-caste love marriage involving a woman singer with a man from the other community. A meeting between leaders of both communities was held in Radhanpur, where it was decided that daughters and sons involved in such cases would be returned to their respective families. The community demanded that the Runi woman be sent back, leading to a fresh dispute.Amid the growing pressure, the woman released a video on social media, appealing to both communities and her family not to interfere in her life, citing the future of her young child.On Wednesday, a mahapanchayat of the Chaudhary community was held in Runi village, attended by a large number of people. They gave an 11-day deadline to the other community to return the woman. However, the decision angered youths, who demanded immediate action. The situation turned heated during the meeting, forcing some leaders to leave the venue.Subsequently, a group marched towards Unn village, where both communities clashed. The situation turned violent, with sticks and rods used in the confrontation. Although the situation is currently under control, tension continues to prevail.
