Another Dalit attack near Una leaves 12 injured

The police in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat detained 26 people in connection with clashes on late Monday night, post a Dalit rally in Una town.

“Last night there were some disturbances near Samter village, when a group of persons returning from Una Dalit rally were attacked by miscreants. We were forced to fire six rounds and burst 46 teargas shells to quell the disturbances. We have arrested 26 people, of whom six are in hospital. The situation is under control and peaceful,” district SP H R Chaudhary told mediapersons.

Thousands of Dalits had gathered at Una to celebrate the Independence day and seek justice for victims of Una Dalit atrocity.

Four Dalit youths were beaten up in public on July 11 for skinning a dead cow, by self-styled cow vigilantes. Monday’s Dalit gathering marked the end of a 10-day, 350-km Dalit Asmita rally that began from Ahmedabad. Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika Vemula and Balubhai Sarvaiya, father of youths beaten up at Una, unfurled the national flag.

Post rally, several Dalits were attacked on their way back  home. One incident took place in Samter village, about 11 km from Una, from where a majority of the accused in the Una atrocity case come from. The other incident occurred in Rameshwar Patiya nearby.

At least eight people, besides four policemen, were injured in the clashes between two groups. Six of the injured were referred to Ahmedabad civil hospital on Tuesday.