Thousands of dalits, came together in Ahmedabad on Sunday to rally against the various cases of violence against lower castes in recent days. Urged by their community leaders, they wish to give up disposing of dead cattle in order to send a strong message to the BJP-led Gujarat state government.
A large mass gathering was organised in the Sabarmati area where dalit leader and Convener of the event, Jignesh Mevani voiced a few of his community’s demands which were to be fulfilled by the assembly polls in 2017.
To give a strong message to the government, I urge all dalits to discontinue the work of disposing dead animals. I also want you to take a pledge of discontinuing the work of cleaning sewer lines. We no longer wish to do this work and want the government to allot agriculture land to us, so that we can live a respectable life. If atrocities on dalits do not stop, we will show our strength in the 2017 Assembly polls.Jignesh Mevani
Demands Made by the Dalits
The demands of the dalits were vociferously voiced and it was threatened that if atrocities against dalits didn’t stop, they would collectively show their strength in the upcoming assembly election in 2017.
- The government was to come to the table for talks, just like it did with the Patel quota leaders.
- All those who beat up the dalits in Una were to be arrested under Prevention of Anti-Social Activity Act (PASA). If they were to come out on bail, the government must extern them from five districts.
- The government was to make all safai kamdars (sanitation workers) permanent in their posts and pay them as per the 6th Pay Commission.
- There would be a withdrawal of cases filed against Dalits during recent protests and a speedy probe in the 2012 Thangadh police firing (in which 3 Dalits were killed) was demanded.
- There would be an allotment of five acres of land for community members who want to discontinue their traditional work
- Martial arts training would be offered to SC members for self-defence.
The State must provide us licensed firearms to protect ourselves since the government has failed to provide us security. We have had enough. We will break their hands and legs if the upper caste exploiters torture us any more.Jignesh Mevani
Foot March to Una
Former IPS officer Rahul Sharma, who criticised the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government during the post-Godhra riots, also addressed the gathering.
This fight is against a particular ideology, which believes in creating rifts between different communities and religions. To bring this movement ahead, I suggest to hold a foot march from here in coming days and reach Una on 15 August. We will celebrate our independence by hoisting flag in Una on 15 August.Rahul Sharma
All protesters agreed with this proposal. The Pad Yatra was to cover 380 kilometres and would commence in the Sarangpura area in Ahmedabad and culminate in Una, in symbolic march focusing on the true meaning of independence for dalits.
Dalits and Muslims Join Hands
Several Muslim leaders of Jamiat-E-Ulema also attended the protests and expressed solidarity with dalits. The unity between dalits and Muslims to collectively fight oppressive gau rakshaks was seen as important in fighting for rights and independence. The Jamiat said they would join the dalits in their foot march to Una.
Relatives of the Una dalit victims, as well as family of the three youth who died in the police firing in Thangadh, Surendranagar attended the gathering too.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Valjibhai Rathod, whose son was among those killed in the police firing on a dalit mob in Thangadh, said he would launch an indefinite fast to attain justice, and seek a CBI probe into the issue.
Even after four years, there is no progress in the probe which is being handled by CID-Crime. In the past, I had demanded a CBI inquiry, but the state government refused to accept it.Valjibhai Rathod
Solidarity came from all quarters and the state government must act quickly and efficiently to placate the masses and compensate for their losses.
(Source: The Indian Express, IANS)
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