The family members of the four dalit men who were brutally assaulted by ‘gau rakshaks’ for skinning a dead cow said that the incident was the outcome of an “upper caste conspiracy” to capture their land and homes.
18 dalit men have tried to commit suicide since Monday to protest against the 11 July incident in an attempt to bring attention to the plights of dalits in Gujarat.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the victims’ families after which he announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the victims.
We believe that village sarpanch Prafullabhai Korat conspired with Hindu vigilante groups to organise the attack as he had been eyeing the two acres of land that Dalits have been using to skin dead animals.Babubhai Veerasbhai Sarowya, Victim’s Father
Gujarat Chief Secretary GR Aloria said:
There is hooliganism going on in the name of self-proclaimed gau raksha samitis and we need to be more vigilant.
(Source: The Hindustan Times, The Indian Express)
(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.)