Dalit organisations led by activist Jignesh Mevani will organise a march from Mehsana to Banaskantha next month to mark one year since cow vigilantes thrashed a group of Dalits for skinning a dead cow at Una village in Saurashtra.
The vigilantes filmed the Dalits being tied to a jeep, beaten up and paraded in the village in July 2016. The video went viral on social media and drew national attention when BSP leader Mayawati raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha. Soon political leaders such as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the victims and slammed the Gujarat government for not taking any action against the culprits.
During the march, demands such as allotting land to Dalits in the State will be raised. Mr. Mevani, who led a month-long Dalit agitation after the Una incident, said, “Dalits, Muslims and backward communities are being systematically targeted in the name of cow slaughter across the country. We have to raise our voice against this mindless violence being inflicted by people associated with the RSS.”
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Mr. Mevani said,“After Una, atrocities against Dalits have increased in Gujarat and other States. There has been violence against Dalits in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh after the BJP came to power there. Everywhere, Dalits are being beaten up in the name of cow protection.”