BHOPAL, 23 April 2007 — A Dalit in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has created history by defying Hindu upper castes. What did he do? He defied old customs and rode a horse! The custom, observed for centuries in the area, states that horses can only be ridden by the upper castes. Surender Ahirwaar, however, decided as a bridegroom that he would ride a horse and lead his wedding procession. He did so with all the colorful ceremony of an Indian marriage on April 20. As the first Dalit of the region to ride a horse, he needed police protection. A beaming Surender said: “Every man dreams that when he becomes a bridegroom, he should ride a horse. This was my dream too.” The upper castes in the area were angered and the bridegroom’s uncle said, “The village head and his brother threatened that if Surender rode a horse, the consequences would be dire. That’s why we sought help from the police.” Not surprisingly, the upper castes boycotted the wedding and the preparations had to be made under police protection.