Skip to main content

Discriminatory to take back cases against Patidar quota agitators: Dalit rights body

By A Representative
The Gyati Nirmulan Samiti (GMS), a grassroots Dalit rights organization of Gujarat, has strongly protested against the manner in which the state government has been allegedly seeking to take back cases against those belonging to non-Dalit and non-Adivasi individuals.
Asserting that this is being done on a mass scale, GMS said, this is "discriminatory", and is being done to please the dominant caste people. "No cases registered against Dalits and Adivasis are being taken back", said GMS convener Sanjay Parmar in a letter submitted to KA Punj, who heads an inquiry commission the state government set up under the chairmanship of retired High Court judge KA Punj said, "This is being done purely for political reasons."
The letter has also been signed by GMS co-convener Rajesh Solanki, a Dalit rights advocate.
In a reported bid to placate the Patidar community, the Gujarat government last year announced setting up of the commission of inquiry headed under Punj to probe alleged police atrocities on members of the community during the violent agitation for OBC quota, which took place three years ago.
Apart from looking into whether the cases could be taken back, the commission is said to be looking into the needs of the agitating communities which are outside the purview of reservations, especially Patidars (Patels), who have been demanding a quota.
"Efforts to take back cases against individuals of particular castes and communities is not in the interest of the general people", the letter said, "Serious cases of violence, include those concerning sedition", the letter, copies of which were handed over to the state home secretary and the chief secretary, states.
It demands, not only cases should not be taken back, those involved in violent incidents should be tried without any bias or prejudice, and the state government should reimburse the amount equal to the property destroyed by the dominant caste agitators.

Comments

TRENDING

Shrinking settlements, fading schools: The Tibetan exile crisis in India

By Tseten Lhundup*  Since the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala has established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as the guardian of Tibetan culture and identity. Once admired for its democratic governance , educational system , and religious vitality , the exile community now faces an alarming demographic and institutional decline. 

To Sonam Wangchuk: 'Will undertake 70 hour solidarity fast in Gujarat'

By Martin Macwan *  Dear Colleague Sonam Wangchuk, I have never met you personally. I wrote a short article at the time of your arrest. Your work correctly introduces you. There is truth in your words. You have embarked on a fast, following the footsteps of Gandhiji. Your intention is to make people think. Your demand is reasonable; I believe that the resignation of a single education minister will not improve the state of education in India. However, the question you have raised is extremely important for the future generation of the marginalized. Education is the key to power, development, and progress, which empowers a citizen.

Gujarat police SOP sparks questions over communal profiling

By Shabnam Hashmi*  The Gujarat government must be held accountable for what appears to be a deeply disturbing instance of state-sponsored communal profiling. Ahmedabad resident Sahal Qureshi recently shared with me an official document , which I translated with the help of AI before forwarding it to several media organisations and political leaders.