A Dalit activist, who set himself on fire outside the Collector’s office in Patan on Thursday, 15 February, to protest the delay in allotment of land to Dalits by the Gujarat government in Patan district, succumbed to his injuries late on Friday night.
Bhanubhai Vankar, 61, suffered 96 percent burns, according to the doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Gandhinagar, where he was taken for treatment the same evening.
Land Allotment Issue
a retired Talati (panchayat-level revenue officer), Vankar was an active member of the Jignesh Mewani-led Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RADM). Incidentally, Vankar and his fellow activists, Hema Vankar and Rama Chamar, had submitted a letter to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on 17 January claiming that they would resort to self-immolation if their demands were not met.
They had demanded that the land be allotted to Dalits of Dudhka village in Sami Taluka, Patan. The trio had also sent a letter to the Collector of Patan, Anand Patel, on 7 February claiming that they will light themselves on fire on 15 February at 1 pm – the copy of the letter in Gujarati was released on WhatsApp by the RADM.
Police Action Saves 2 Lives
According to police sources in Patan, nine persons were detained at the Collector’s office before they could take the extreme step. The police had received the letter from the Collector’s office almost a week ago and were on the lookout of the trio, but they went missing.
The police had stationed themselves outside the Collector’s office with fire extinguishers and managed to stop Hema Vankar and Rama Chamar before they lit themselves. However, Bhanubhai Vankar lit himself ablaze outside the Collector’s compound and came running in before anyone could stop him.
Speaking to The Quint, Bhargav Vankar, son of Babubhai Vankar, said, “He had not informed anyone in the family about his plans to immolate himself and went missing about a week ago. He took this step for other people’s land.We first took him to a hospital in Patan then to Mehsana and finally to Gandhinagar.”
Vankar’s kin confirmed later on Friday night that the activist was no more.
Political Aftermath
Meanwhile, prominent Dalit activist and independent MLA from Vadgam, Jignesh Mewani, called for the Chief Minister’s resignation over the matter. A district-wide bandh has been declared across Patan. Many shops and markets willingly remained closed, while those that were open were forcibly shut down by members of the Dalit community. Yet, the bandh has not had the desired affect that the Dalit community hoped for.
The Quint repeatedly called Patan Collector Anand Patel on his mobile phone, but he has not responded yet.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)