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‘Anger was bound to spill over’
AHMEDABAD: The intensity of protests sweeping Gujarat over the public thrashing of Dalit youths by members of a cow protection group has stunned many, but the state’s
AHMEDABAD: The intensity of protests sweeping Gujarat over the public thrashing of Dalit youths by members of a cow protection group has stunned many, but the state’s Dalit leaders say it is not surprising.
It was bound to spill over, they said, citing an unending string of atrocities and caste biases that the community is forced to endure in the state. Last month, a Dalit youth killed himself by consuming poison after allegedly being tortured in police custody in Gondal. A Dalit girl was raped in Patan while another youth was murdered in Porbandar over a dispute not too long ago.
Gujarat witnesses an average of 1,000 cases of atrocities on Dalits every year, as per the official records of the Minority Commission. The same records suggest that 50 Dalit women are raped and 20 Dalits are murdered every year. Some 116 Dalit villages are currently under police protection. Community leaders say that the Dalits who make up about 7 per cent of the state’s population are victims of a systematic caste bias.
Ramesh Garva, a Dalit leader from Kutch, said inaction by the police and the government has pushed community members to the edge. “Constant denial of justice, perversions of law, and denial of basic human dignity have resulted into what Gujarat is witnessing today,” he said.
What has apparently fuelled anger on the streets this time round are reports that the police in Una had allegedly encouraged the perpetrators to “teach the Dalit youths a lesson” before bringing them to the police station. “There is a fear among the community that the establishment — including the police — is not receptive to the situation and that Dalits will continue to suffer,” said another activist Manish Sondarva. Dalit leaders say the state government dragged its feet this time round too. A video of the assault in Una went viral and outraged the whole nation, but chief minister Anandiben Patel visited the town only on Wednesday, nine days after the incident, they pointed out.
Justice is not only delayed, but also denied to Dalits in Gujarat, the leaders argued. Nitin Gurjar of Dalit Swabhiman Andolan cited the example of community members of Thangadh of Surendranagar district. A Dalit youth was killed in police firing in September 2012 in the town. When others came out to protest, two more Dalit youths were killed in police action. Four years on and the relatives of those killed are still waiting for justice.
