Ahead of Gujarat Dalit atrocity cases hearing, NHRC told: State officials failed to respond to 30 "listed" complaints

By A Representative
In what is being considered as a clear case of failure to investigate anti-atrocity cases, a senior Dalit rights activist has revealed that, in a large number of cases, Gujarat government officials have been refusing to send replies required by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking reports on progress made in bringing culprit to books. Some of the cases are as old as 2013, while others are more recent, of 2018.
Listing 30 cases which he filed before NHRC, ranging from murder and rape to social boycott and forced migration, the activist, Kantibhai U Parmar, in a representation to NHRC chairman HL Dattu, visiting Gujarat on April 26-27 for an open hearing session, has said, the officials who failed to respond to NHRC queries should be asked to remain present at the Police Academy, Karai, off Gandhinagar, Gujarat capital, where the hearing is proposed.
Of the 30 cases listed, claims Parmar, the only issue to be taken up at the "open hearing" is regarding the complaint to the principal secretary, education, Gujarat government, which alleges that there no representative of SC/ST community in any of the committees of the Gujarat education board. In this case, NHRC has directed the senior official to remain present with reply at the open hearing at Karai along with the requisite report.
Parmar has written the letter in response to an NHRC communique, posted on its website, which asks all those who have raised problems and grievances of scheduled castes and tribes (SC and ST) regarding atrocities committed by a public servant or of negligence by them, to send their complaints in advance, so that these could be taken up at the open hearing, to be chaired by Dattu.

Kantilal Parmar

The list prepared by Parmar and sent to Dattu includes 14 about which he had lodged complaints to NHRC in 2017, eight this year, while the rest between 2013 and 2016. In each of these complaints, Parmar says, while NHRC is found to have sought answers from concerned officials, the officials have have failed to respond on what action, if at all, they have taken, as demanded by NHRC.
Parmar's list includes the case of the death of a manhole worker due to suffocation of October 2013 in which the NHRC had sought report from the district police chief, Gandhinagar, within four weeks, and yet there is no response even though five years have passed. In 2017, following a similar incident of manhole death of Dharmesh and Anil Purabiya in Sector 19, Gandhinagar, NHRC had sought report from the district collector and police chief, yet they have not responded.
Things were found to be not very different in the case of manhole death of Jasubhai Gangdiya in Vejalpur's Ashapura Society,Ahmedabad. Despite the fact that NHRC had sought action taken report from the Commissioner of Police and the Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad, none of them have responded even though a year has passed. Similarly, there is no response following the death of four sanitary workers in safety tank in Jetpur, Rajkot district.
Then, there is the case of forced migration of a family in 2015, on which the Amreli district police chief was asked to send report, again within four weeks, yet there is no response, though three years have passed. The family was forced to migrate following the rape of a minor Dalit girl, says Parmar, and the Amreli authorities were asked as to how much time it would take for them to respond, and whether the matter has been examined at all.
The situation, Parmar's list shows, is the same with regard to another forced migration case of Patan district, or of Botad district, where Dalits faced social boycott and forced migration from village Malpur, or of social boycott of Dalits in Mehsana district.

NHRC chairman Dattu

Other cases listed include death of eight Dalits due to gas bottle blast in Amreli district,death of 20 children in Asarva Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, due to "negligence" of doctors; and of Jiviben, a native of Kutch district, who also died allegedly due to doctors' negligence in Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.
Parmar also lists case of suicide by a midday meal scheme administrator because of harassment by school teachers in Mehsana district; murder of a Dalit youth in Porbandar district; death of Jigneshbhai Sondhrva in an Amreli district jail; Bharat Gohel burnt alive in Veraval in Gir-Somnath district; and murder of a Dalit youth Mihir Kanubhai Jadav in Ahmedabad district.
The cases listed further include Dalits' failure access to food from public distribution system in Chanch Bandar village in Rajula, Amreli district; harassment of retired teacher Gangaben Somabhai Rathava, who had sought clearance of papers regarding pension from Chhota Udepur district education authorities; and refusal to permit Dalit village chief to hoist national flag in a Saurashtra village.

Comments

What Sister Nivedita understood about India that we have forgotten

By Harasankar Adhikari In the idea of a “Vikshit Bharat,” many real problems—hunger, poverty, ill health, unemployment, and joblessness—are increasingly overshadowed by the religious contest between Hindu and Muslim fundamentalisms. This contest is often sponsored and patronised by political parties across the spectrum, whether openly Hindutva-oriented, Islamist, partisan, or self-proclaimed secular.

The rise of the civilizational state: Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta warns of new authoritarianism

By A Representative Noted political theorist and public intellectual Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta delivered a poignant reflection on the changing nature of the Indian state today, warning that the rise of a "civilizational state" poses a significant threat to the foundations of modern democracy and individual freedom. Delivering the Achyut Yagnik Memorial Lecture titled "The Idea of Civilization: Poison or Cure?" at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Mehta argued that India is currently witnessing a self-conscious political project that seeks to redefine the state not as a product of a modern constitution, but as an instrument of an ancient, authentic civilization.

NYT: RSS 'infiltrates' institutions, 'drives' religious divide under Modi's leadership

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive New York Times investigation published on December 26, 2025, chronicles the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — characterized as a far-right Hindu nationalist organization — from a shadowy group founded in 1925 to the world's largest right-wing force, marking its centenary in 2025 with unprecedented influence and mainstream acceptance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who joined the RSS as a young boy and later became a full-time campaigner before being deputized to its political wing in the 1980s, delivered his strongest public tribute to the group in his August 2025 Independence Day address. Speaking from the Red Fort , he called the RSS a "giant river" with dozens of streams touching every aspect of Indian life, praising its "service, dedication, organization, and unmatched discipline." The report describes how the RSS has deeply infiltrated India's institutions — government, courts, police, media, and academia — ...

Why experts say replacing MGNREGA could undo two decades of rural empowerment

By A Representative A group of scientists, academics, civil society organisations and field practitioners from India and abroad has issued an open letter urging the Union government to reconsider the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and to withdraw the newly enacted Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. The letter, dated December 27, 2025, comes days after the VB–G RAM G Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16 and subsequently approved by both Houses of Parliament, formally replacing the two-decade-old employment guarantee law.

India’s universities lag global standards, pushing students overseas: NITI Aayog study

By Rajiv Shah A new Government of India study, Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations , prepared by NITI Aayog , regrets that India’s lag in this sector is the direct result of “several systemic challenges such as inadequate infrastructure to provide quality education and deliver world-class research, weak industry–academia collaboration, and outdated curricula.”

Interfaith cooperation in Punjab village as Sikhs and Hindus support mosque construction

By Bharat Dogra A recent heart-warming report on Sikh and Hindu families helping to build a mosque in a village of Punjab deserves wide attention. It is such examples that truly strengthen national unity. There are many instances of mutual respect and cooperation among people of different religions and faiths that need to be better known today.

'Caste oppression ignored': NCERT textbooks reflect ideological bias, says historian

By A Representative The Indian History Forum organized a webinar titled “Rewriting the Past: Distortions and Ideological Interventions in NCERT History Textbooks” on 22 December 2025. The session featured historian Dr Ruchika Sharma, who critically examined recent changes in NCERT history textbooks and their implications for historical understanding and social cohesion among millions of students across the country.

Investment in rule of law a corporate imperative, not charity: Business, civil society leaders

By A Representative In a compelling town hall discussion hosted at L.J School of Law , prominent voices from industry and civil society underscored that corporate investment in strengthening the rule of law is not an act of charity but a critical business strategy for building a safer, stronger, and developed India by 2047. The dialogue, part of the Unmute podcast series, examined the intrinsic link between ethical business conduct , robust legal frameworks, and sustainable national development, against the sobering backdrop of India ranking 79th out of 142 countries on the global Rule of Law Index .

Domestic vote-bank politics 'behind official solidarity' with Bangladeshi Hindus

By Sandeep Pandey, Faisal Khan The Indian government has registered a protest with Bangladesh over the mob lynching of two Hindus—Deepu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and Amrit Mandal in Rajbari. In its communication, the government cited a report by the Association of Hindus, Buddhists and Christian Unity Council, which claims that more than 2,900 incidents of killings, arson, and land encroachments targeting minorities have taken place since the interim government assumed power in Bangladesh.

Search This Blog