Dalits in Gujarat pledge against picking carcasses of animals

The Dalit community in Gujarat converged here on Sunday to hold a protest rally against the injustice meted out to the community youths at Una on July 11.

People at the rally took a pledge not to pick carcasses of animals across the state and sought  “licensed firearms” for protection as the government had failed to provide adequate  security for the community members. They even sought training in martial arts for self-defence.

As many as 30 Dalit groups converged at Sabarmati area of the city. Muslim bodies Jamiat-e-Ulema-e Hind, among others, extended their support to the rally.

Convenor of the newly formed ‘Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti’ (Una Dalit Fight against Atrocities Committee), Jignesh Mewani, announced that a padayatra will be taken out from Ahmedabad on August 5 and will reach Una on August 15. It is slated to be led by former IPS officer Rahul Sharma, a Brahmin. The speakers at the rally demanded that the state government provide alternative employment to Dalits, who now seek to give up the job of skinning dead animals and manual scavenging.

Una attack rebel dies
A man who had attempted suicide at Dhoraji in Rajkot during the statewide protests against the thrashing of Dalits in Una, died at a government hospital on Sunday, PTI reports.

Yogesh Hirabhai Solanki (25) died after he was rushed to Ahmedabad civil hospital from Rajkot, where he was being treated.