Thangarh police firing: Gujarat Dalit families want govt to file FIR against cops responsible for death of 3 youths

Thangarh family members with Manjula Pradeep

By A Representative
In first of a series of shows of strength following the success of the August 15 Una rally, called to protest against flogging of four Dalit youths on July 11, the Gujarat Scheduled Caste Anti-Atrocities Struggle Committee on Sunday held a well-attended rally in Gadhinagar in order to highlight the plight of the three Dalit families who had lost their sons in police firing in Thangarh four years ago.
Held against the backdrop of the families sitting on dharna in Gandhinagar for about a fortnight demanding to reopen the case, closed recently by the Gujarat crime branch, a strong demand was put forward to file a first information report (FIR) against the cops who had fired on the three youths on September 22-13, 2012.
Finding that the rally might embarrass the Gujarat government ahead of a two-day session of the Gujarat state assembly, starting on Monday, senior Dalit rights activists taking up the cause of the Dalit families were called for a compromise late on Friday evening.
Soon after the meeting with Gujarat ministers, the state government declared setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) and a special court to probe the incident, which has become a symbol of Dalit atrocities in Gujarat for the last four years. It also declared appointment of a special special public prosecutor to ensure early completion of the probe.
The SIT will include Rajkot police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, Surat deputy commissioner of police (zone-2) Parikshita Rathiod, and Porbandar district police chief Tarun Kumar Duggal. The rally saw a section declaring it as a victory for their struggle. However, others seemed reluctant to reach to the conclusion.

Addressing the gathering, members of the Dalit families said, they are “not satisfied” with the offer of SIT, pointing out, “Our main demand remains unanswered: To take prompt action against the cops responsible for the firing incident, in which three Dalit youths died.” They said, they wanted a
CBI inquiry, and not SIT, adding, they were "taken for a ride."
Addressed by Dalit rights NGO Navsarjan Trust founder Martin Macwan and executive director Manjula Pradeep, among others, a list of 16 demands were put forward at the gathering, which included holding mass hearing in each village on atrocities against Dalits and other marginalized groups, and disbanding the village level social justice committees, whose main job is not to look into caste discrimination but to look after cleanliness.
Also, there was a demand to look into the problems of the Dalits of tens of villages who have been forced to migrate and live in nearby towns because of attacks from dominant castes. Nothing has been done to rehabilitate them, the speakers at the rally pointed out. Activists wanted the two-day Gujarat state assembly to discuss these issues theadbare.
Activists wanted the state government should reveal the findings of senior IAS bureaucrat Sanjay Prasad, who looked into the Thangarh firing. The inquiry report was submitted to the then Narendra Modi government on May 1, 2013, but has not been made public, allegedly because it contains names of some senior police officials, who had ordered to fire on the Dalits.

Comments

Why Venezuela govt granting amnesty to political prisoners isn't a sign of weakness

By Guillermo Barreto On 20 May 2017, during a violent protest planned by sectors of the Venezuelan opposition, 21-year-old Orlando Figuera was attacked by a mob that accused him of being a Chavista. After being stabbed, he was doused with gasoline and set on fire in front of everyone present. Young Orlando was admitted to a hospital with multiple wounds and burns covering 80 percent of his body and died 15 days later, on 4 June.

Walk for peace: Buddhist monks and America’s search for healing

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The #BuddhistMonks in the United States have completed their #WalkForPeace after covering nearly 3,700 kilometers in an arduous journey. They reached Washington, DC yesterday. The journey began at the Huong Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 26, 2025, and concluded in Washington, DC after a 108-day walk. The monks, mainly from Vietnam and Thailand, undertook this journey for peace and mindfulness. Their number ranged between 19 and 24. Led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara (also known as Sư Tuệ Nhân), a Vietnamese-born monk based in the United States, this “Walk for Peace” reflected deeply on the crisis within American society and the search for inner strength among its people.

Pace bowlers who transcended pace bowling prowess to heights unscaled

By Harsh Thakor* This is my selection and ranking of the most complete and versatile fast bowlers of all time. They are not rated on the basis of statistics or sheer speed, but on all-round pace-bowling skill. I have given preference to technical mastery over raw talent, and versatility over raw pace.

When a lake becomes real estate: The mismanagement of Hyderabad’s waterbodies

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava* Misunderstood, misinterpreted and misguided governance and management of urban lakes in India —illustrated here through Hyderabad —demands urgent attention from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the political establishment, the judiciary, the builder–developer lobby, and most importantly, the citizens of Hyderabad. Fundamental misconceptions about urban lakes have shaped policies and practices that systematically misuse, abuse and ultimately erase them—often in the name of urban development.

Bangladesh goes to polls as press freedom concerns surface

By Nava Thakuria* As Bangladesh heads for its 13th Parliamentary election and a referendum on the July National Charter simultaneously on Thursday (12 February 2026), interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged all participating candidates to rise above personal and party interests and prioritize the greater interests of the Muslim-majority nation, regardless of the poll outcomes.

When grief becomes grace: Kerala's quiet revolution in organ donation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Kerala is an important model for understanding India's diversity precisely because the religious and cultural plurality it has witnessed over centuries brought together traditions and good practices from across the world. Kerala had India's first communist government, was the first state where a duly elected government was dismissed, and remains the first state to achieve near-total literacy. It is also a land where Christianity and Islam took root before they spread to Europe and other parts of the world. Kerala has deep historic rationalist and secular traditions.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Beyond the conflict: Experts outline roadmap for humane street dog solutions

By A Representative In a direct response to the rising polarization surrounding India’s street dog population, a high-level coalition of parliamentarians, legal experts, and civil society leaders gathered in the capital to propose a unified national framework for humane animal management. The emergency deliberations were sparked by a recent Suo Moto judgment that has significantly deepened the divide between animal welfare advocates and those calling for the removal of community dogs, a tension that has recently escalated into reported violence against both animals and their caretakers in states like Telangana.

'Paradigm shift needed': Analyst warns draft electricity policy ignores ecological costs

By A Representative The Ministry of Power’s Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP), 2026 has drawn sharp criticism from power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma, who has submitted detailed feedback highlighting what he calls “serious omissions” in the government’s approach to energy transition.

Search This Blog