The backlash over the Bhima Koregaon violence in Pune, Maharashtra has reached Gujarat, with reports of arson and stone-pelting coming in from Rajkot and Patan on Wednesday night, 3 January. Gujarat was the epicentre of the pro-Dalit movement after the Una flogging incident back in 2016, which brought Dalit leaders like Jignesh Mevani to the fore.
According to reports, a Dalit group held a protest march at Udhna railway station in Surat to express solidarity with the community members in Maharashtra over the caste violence that erupted in Pune on 1 January. A group of 40 people who had just returned from Bhima Koregaon near Pune, shouted slogans near Udhna railway station on Wednesday morning.
They rallied from Udhna railway station to the statue of Baba Ambedkar on Ring Road and were joined by more members of Dalit groups from the city to protest the violence in Maharashtra. A similar rally was also taken out in Vapi and Navsari towns of south Gujarat during the day by local Dalit groups there. A bandh was called in Surat, which was called off by Thursday morning.
But on Thursday morning, Dalit leaders in Surat submitted a memorandum of demands before the Surat District Collectorate.
In Dhoraji town of Rajkot, a mob turned violent and torched a bus near Bhuki Crossroads. The mob stopped the state transport bus and forced the passengers, the driver and cleaner out of the bus before setting it ablaze; according to police, the driver sustained minor injuries.
Overnight bus services were halted in many parts of Saurashtra, including all ST bus services from Gir Somnath. Protesters blocked the Junagadh Somnath highway for over 20 minutes on Thursday morning. In Patan, protesters blocked the Chanasma Radhanpur highway by burning tyres. The State Transport Department has cancelled bus services to Junagadh, Keshod and Dhoraji.
As several parts of Maharashtra witnessed a bandh on Wednesday in the aftermath of the Bhima-Koregaon violence, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Chief Secretary JN Singh as well as Transport and Home Department officials were all present at this meeting.
Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja made an appeal to maintain peace in the state. He said:
The police department of the state is ensuring that no untoward incidents happen in wake of the events in Mumbai. Today, Surat was supposed to be closed down on account of a bandh and rally was also planned by Dalit activists. But the local police requested Dalit leaders to drop the bandh and the rally, and leaders have complied with the cops.
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