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

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog