Dalits unload cow carcass in front of collectorate in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: Dalits unloaded a truckload of carcass of cows in front of the collector’s office in Surendranagar district on Monday to protest against the thrashing of Dalits in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district on July 11.
In seven other separate incidents, Dalit youths-Rajesh Parmar, Ramesh Pardhi, Jagdish Rathod, Bharat Solanki and Anil Maghad in Gondal town and Kishor Solanki and Amrit Parmar in Jamkandorna tried to end their lives by drinking poison.

All seven were admitted to a hospital in Gondal. Speaking to ET from Surendranagar, Natubhai Parmar, one of the protesters in the ‘carcass incident’ said: “We have submitted a memorandum to the collector and he has assured us in writing that our concerns will be taken care of.”

Four Dalit men were stripped and thrashed in public for skinning dead cows in Mota Samadhiyala village on July 11 by Shiv Sena activists. The community members traditionally carry out skinning of dead cows and dispose the carcasses.

In the pretext of ‘gaurakhsha’, Sena activists paid no heed to their pleadings and thrashed them. Four policemen, including an inspector, have been suspended and seven people arrested in the case.

The state government has declared Rs 1 lakh compensation and handed over the case to CID crime. CM Anandiben has announced setting up of a special court and appointing a special public prosecutor in the case and declared that the chargesheet will be filed within 60 days.