Dalits' death in police firing: Gujarat's top cops 'indifferent towards rights violation'

By A Representative
Has the Gujarat government adopted a "go slow" tactic vis-a-vis the gruesome incident in Thangarh, Surendrangar district, which took place in September last year, in which three Dalit youths died in police firing? Senior Dalit activist Kirit Rathod of NGO Navsarjan Trust appears to think this is very much the case, "While the Gujarat Human Rights Commission (GHRC) directed, on March 23, 2013, that the director-general of police (DGP) and the CID crime, who sit in Police Bhawan in Gandhinagar, to immediately provide a complete report on the firing incident, even a month after the order the state's top cops have not act", he has said in a statement.
The GHRC order followed the activist's complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that the CBI take over investigation of the case. Yet, the Gujarat government appears not interested in bringing culprits to book. On receiving the complaint, the NHRC asked the GHRC to look into the matter. Based on the NHRC direction, the GHRC asked the DGP and the CID crime to provide full details of the incident, in order to send details of the incident to the NHRC.
In a letter demanding a special investigation team of the CBI take over inquiry, Rathod, asked Justice KG Balakrishnan, chairman, NHRC, that in two separate incidents, on September 22 and 23, 2012, in Thangadh town in Surendrangagar district, "at least four persons" died. Located in Chotila taluka of Surendrangar district, Thangadh is 20 km away from Chotila town and 60 km away from Surendranagar city. With a population of Thangadh of 1,25,000, out of which around 30,000 are Dalits, Thangadh is known for ceramic industry which the main enterprise. Majority of the people staying in Thangadh are dependant on ceramic industry.
On September 21, 2012, Bharwads and Dalits came face-to-face after a petty fight at a local fair organized by the Thangadh municipality. It snowballed into a major clash with both sides using sticks and sharp weapons. Police officials said they lobbed teargas shells to disperse the rampaging crowds. When this did not work, they fired at the crowd. Seventeen-year-old Pankaj Sumra was seriously injured in the firing and later died in a hospital in Rajkot.
News of the death sparked outrage among Dalits in Thangadh who took to the streets demanding that a complaint be filed against police officials responsible for the death. With tension in the town, police officials called in reinforcements. However, on Sunday afternoon a group of Dalit youths clashed with the police at Dholeshwar area. The police again opened fire in which three people received bullet injuries. They were rushed to the Rajkot civil hospital where Mehul Rathod, 17, and Prakash Parmar, 21, died.
Rathod said, the first police firing in which the 16-year-old youth died "was done without any order by Raghvedran Vatsa, Senior Superintended of police, Surendranagar." After the firing Vatsa came to Thangadh, yet "did not take any action" against those who had fired.
"Hari Krishan Patel, Senior Suprintendent of Police, Jamnagar district, was in charge of Thangadh Police Station area and was presented in the second incident. His commandos fired on dalit mob with AK-47 and other policemen also participated in the firing. Mr. Hari krishna Patel was on duty as Senior Superintendent of Police, because during that time Raghvendra Vatsa was busy in organizing bandobast for the Chief Minister's Swami Vivekanand Yatra", Rathod alleged, adding, "Three complaints have been lodged in the Thangadh police station, under IPC sections and under relevant sections of Prevention of Atrocities Act against the police but no action was taken against the accused police officers."
While the three cops were held in February this year, Rathod believes, the incident should be treated as a serious human rights violation. "The three victims were killed by the accused, and one was seriously injured in the police firing without any order or permission of the senior rank police officer. This is violation of Article 21 (right to life) of the Indian Constitution. It is also violation of Prevention of Atrocity Act, 1989, sections 3(1)5 and 3(1)7. The families of the victims live in constant fear of further attacks from the dominant caste police officers", he said.

Comments

Plastic burning in homes threatens food, water and air across Global South: Study

By Jag Jivan In a groundbreaking study spanning 26 countries across the Global South , researchers have uncovered the widespread and concerning practice of households burning plastic waste as a fuel for cooking, heating, and other domestic needs. The research, published in Nature Communications , reveals that this hazardous method of managing both waste and energy poverty is driven by systemic failures in municipal services and the unaffordability of clean alternatives, posing severe risks to human health and the environment.

Economic superpower’s social failure? Inequality, malnutrition and crisis of India's democracy

By Vikas Meshram India may be celebrated as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but a closer look at who benefits from that growth tells a starkly different story. The recently released World Inequality Report 2026 lays bare a country sharply divided by wealth, privilege and power. According to the report, nearly 65 percent of India’s total wealth is owned by the richest 10 percent of its population, while the bottom half of the country controls barely 6.4 percent. The top one percent—around 14 million people—holds more than 40 percent, the highest concentration since 1961. Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate is a dismal 15.7 percent.

The greatest threat to our food system: The aggressive push for GM crops

By Bharat Dogra Thanks to the courageous resistance of several leading scientists who continue to speak the truth despite increasing pressures from the powerful GM crop and GM food lobby , the many-sided and in some contexts irreversible environmental and health impacts of GM foods and crops, as well as the highly disruptive effects of this technology on farmers, are widely known today.

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.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

'Restructuring' Sahitya Akademi: Is the ‘Gujarat model’ reaching Delhi?

By Prakash N. Shah* A fortnight and a few days have slipped past that grim event. It was as if the wedding preparations were complete and the groom’s face was about to be unveiled behind the ceremonial tinsel. At 3 PM on December 18, a press conference was poised to announce the Sahitya Akademi Awards .

The war on junk food: Why India must adopt global warning labels

By Jag Jivan The global health landscape is witnessing a decisive shift toward aggressive regulation of the food industry, a movement highlighted by two significant policy developments shared by Dr. Arun Gupta of the Nutrition Advocacy for Public Interest (NAPi).

The illusion of nuclear abundance: Why NTPC’s expansion demands public scrutiny

By Shankar Sharma* The recent news that NTPC is scouting 30 potential sites across India for a massive nuclear power expansion should be a wake-up call for every citizen. While the state-owned utility frames this as a bold stride toward a 100,000 MW nuclear capacity by 2047, a cold look at India’s nuclear saga over the last few decades suggests this ambition may be more illusory than achievable. More importantly, it carries implications that could fundamentally alter the safety, environment, and economic health of our communities.

Madhav Gadgil: The ecologist who taught India to listen to nature

By Raj Kumar Sinha* Among the exceptional individuals who laid the intellectual and scientific foundations of environmental conservation in India—and challenged the dominant development discourse—Professor Madhav Dhondo Keshav Gadgil stands as a towering figure. He was not only a pioneering ecologist, but also among the first to view environmental protection through the lens of democracy, local communities and social justice.

Search This Blog