Angry Gujarat Dalits to protest in Amreli on August 8 against "false" FIR charging social workers with murder

Amreli district court advocates handing over protest letter

By Our Representative
Even as the imbroglio around the July 11 Una incident, in which four Dalit youths were thrashed after tying them to an SUV, refuses to die down, a new wave of Dalit anger has begun to sweep in Saurashtra. This is around what is being claimed to be a false FIR against 16 Dalits youths charging them with the murder of a police constable on July 19.
Naming as many as 16 persons under Section 302 of the CrPC, including a school teacher, a social justice lawyer and a well-known social activist, the FIR was filed late on July 19, the day angry protests rocked Amreli town against the Una incident – that too for an incident which, say local sources, was not a murder but an accident.
While none of those whose names figure in the FIR were contactable, as their phones were switched off, a social worker attached with the NGO, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Ahmedabad, and working in Amreli, told Counterview that the district's prominent Dalits have “met and decided to hold a major show of strength in front of the district office on August 8 to protest against the FIR.”
A leaflet calling upon Dalits to remain present in Amreli “in thousands” on August 8 said, “The police constable, Pankajbhai Amrelia, died far away from the spot where the Dalits were protesting. His death happened because he fell down while getting down from a police vehicle, and his head was reportedly hit by a sharp matter.”
Calling the Amreli district police's decision to book the 16 prominent Dalit activists under Section 302 a “well-planned conspiracy” to take a revenge against them because most of them were fighting for Dalit rights in the district, the leaflet says, “The FIR has been lodged against even those who were not there in the rally, with some of them being out of the state.”

Leaflet calling for August 8 rally in Amreli

Giving details of those named in the FIR, CSJ activist Arvindbhai Khuman told Counterview that the most prominent among them is Karsanbhai Rathod, an advocate based in a neighbouring town, Rajula. “Rathod had come to Amreli for getting his driving license renewed, he was nowhere near the spot of the incident. Already, there a wave of anger against naming Rathod.”
“A social justice lawyer who takes up cases of caste discrimination, there is already a wave of anger among the lawyers of the district against naming Rathod”, Khuman says. “On July 25, the Rajula Bar Association wrote a letter to minister of state for home Rajnibhai Patel protesting against wrongly naming Rathod. And on August 1, advocates across the district went on strike. Representation was made to government officials in all the eight talukas and district headquarters in Amreli.”
Then, Khuman said, there is the name of school teacher, Rajnibhai Makwana, who had gone to attend a social function and was with BJP Rajya Sabha MP Shambhunath Tundiya, known among Dalits as a “dharmaguru” because of his religious seat in Zanzarka in Saurashtra. “Shambhunath Maharaj has confirmed this and given it writing”, he added.
“A third person”, said Khuman, “is a prominent social worker from Rajula, Kantibhai Vala. Vala has been mobilising Dalits in Amreli district for the last several years. He is the one who has been the driving force behind the protest by 23 persons of a family, who are sitting in front of the Amreli district collector's office. They were forced to migrate from their village, Vadli, where they faced intolerable oppression of the upper castes.”
“Others named in the FIR include Navchetanbhai Parmar, a lawyer, who took the permission for the Dalit rally. The police never liked him fighting the case of the effort of upper caste villagers seeking to burn an entire family alive. Apparently, he has been punished for that”, says Khuman, adding, “There is also a transporter, Gopal Manibhai Parmar, who was in Rajasthan on that day.”

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog