Dalit wedding processions row: Rights leaders question Gujarat CM's silence, cop inertia

Martin Macwan, Jignesh Mevani

By A Representative
Addressing media in the wake of a series of incidents -- in which dominant rural castes stopped Dalit wedding processions to pass through village streets -- rights leaders Jignesh Mevani, an independent MLA of Gujarat state assembly, and Martin Macwan, founder of Gujarat’s biggest Dalit rights organization, Navsarjan Trust, have accused the state administration’s alleged indifference towards what they described as clear examples of untouchability prevailing in a state, whose rulers claim to have overcome discriminatory practices.
If Mevani criticised Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and other senior officials for failing to condemn the incidents and keeping mum, Macwan said, when the authorities insist these should not be politicised, but their refusal to take action against the officials for failing to take protect the Dalits itself is nothing but political. They said, the police refused protection despite prior pleas, and the cops are now busy instituting false charges against Dalits.
The five incidents*, which shook the state, especially Dalits who form seven per cent of the population, involve village Khambhisar, taluka Modasa, district Aravalli; village Sitvada; taluka Prantij, district Sabarkantha; village Boriya, taluka Prantij, district Sabarkantha; village Lhor, taluka Kadi, district Mehsana; village Boriya, taluka Prantij, district Sabarkantha; and village Gajipur, taluka Vadali, district Sabarkantha.

A note by Dalit rights leaders:

The state had prior information about the possibility of such incidents. Police was intimated in writing about the actual threats Dalits had received for planning a wedding procession in all the five incidents taking place in past week. Hence, the police could have prevented such incidents as they are duty bound by law. A warning by the chief minister’s officer (CMO) of stern action would have acted as a deterrent.
The Chief Minister has maintained silence. He has not visited a single village to even appeal for harmony. He has stayed away from condemning such incidents. Is he in agreement with the people who have openly defied the law or he thinks it is beyond his capabilities?
An appeal not to politicize the issue too is misplaced. This is a political issue. A state with intimation on possible defiance of law cannot remain a mute spectator.
These are not cases of caste-based violence; rather these are clear cases of untouchability practices where Dalits are told in no uncertain terms that they have no right to sit on the horse, play music, seek blessings of the village deity and take out wedding processions like them on the public road.
The Dalits know they have a right, and hence they do not require to be informed about their rights. It is the social groups who commit such crimes need to be told that they have no right to prevent wedding processions of Dalits.
These incidents have happened due to utter state of lawlessness where people have no fear either of the police or the law itself of openly defy the law. The people who prevented wedding processions too knew that Dalits have given prior notice to the police about the apprehended trouble and yet, they had the courage to defy law openly.
In Khambhisar, therefore, the police officer ended up abusing and assaulting Dalits as if they were the law breakers while protecting the people who were abusing the law.
The police appeal in these villages for harmony or the visit of deputy chief minister to only Lhor in his constituency and appeal for peace in misplaced. In none of the incidents Dalits have defied the law. More than an appeal, dealing with heavy hand with law breakers is required.

What next?

A meeting of Dalit-Adivasi-civil society leaders will take place on May 18, Buddha Purnima, at Dalit Shakti Kendra, Nani Devti village, Sanand taluka, Ahmedabad district, to decide on next steps. All Dalit MLAs are invited.
A petition will be filed with the National Human Rights Commission on the willful negligence of the state.

***

*Details of the incidents
In village Khambhisar, after apprehending that they would be stopped, Dalits sought police protection. The Patidar women at several places held yagna and Ramdhun to not allow the wedding procession to proceed on May 12. The Dalit procession was stoned with it reached the Patel faliya of locality. Police arrived on the scene but it could not help Dalits to proceed.
The procession was stalled for five hours. It was only on May 13, with a large police force, a simple procession took place, after the father of the groom was forced to cancel the grand ceremony. Dalits have accused the police officer of abusing them instead of helping them.
In village Sitvada, Anil Rathod's family sought police protection after elders of Sitvada village, belonging to the Thakor community, objected to the wedding procession, also on May 12, to pass through the village and his plans to offer prayers at the Bhikhabhai Vaniya temple. The objection was on the bridegroom riding a horse.
Significantly, the Dalit family intimated the police in writing. Due to threats during the procession, Dalits were forced to halt the procession. The DJ group ran away due to fear of assault. It was only with the police protection was provided that the DJ could return and the groom could visit the temple and complete the wedding procession, though the plan to ride the horse had to be abandoned.
On May 11, in village Boriya, a Dalit policeman, Sanjay Rathod, serving for 27 years serving at Jadhar police station, could ride a horse during his wedding procession only after around 150 of his uniformed colleagues made a security ring around him and his family members and invitees. The executive magistrate too remained present. The police force remained in the village till the wedding was over.
On May 7 in village Lhor, Dalits faced boycott by upper castes for two days as a groom from the community rode a horse during his wedding procession. They had in intimated in writing intimated to the police about the threats they had received. Mehul was the first ever Dalit bridegroom in the village who rode on horse with the procession.
Five persons, including the sarpanch, the deputy sarpanch and the husband of the taluka panchayat member were taken in custody. Muslims of the village joined others in the social boycott of Dalits. The call to assemble to declare social boycott was delivered from the temple microphone.
On May 12, in village Gajipur, Mehul Bhambhi too faced similar hurdles following the wedding procession.

Comments

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...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Gujarat agate worker, who fought against bondage, died of silicosis, won compensation

Raju Parmar By Jagdish Patel* This is about an agate worker of Khambhat in Central Gujarat. Born in a Vankar family, Raju Parmar first visited our weekly OPD clinic in Shakarpur on March 4, 2009. Aged 45 then, he was assigned OPD No 199/03/2009. He was referred to the Cardiac Care Centre, Khambhat, to get chest X-ray free of charge. Accordingly, he got it done and submitted his report. At that time he was working in an agate crushing unit of one Kishan Bhil.

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.

Licy Bharucha’s pilgrimage into the lives of India’s freedom fighters

By Moin Qazi* Book Review: “Oral History of Indian Freedom Movement”, by Dr Licy Bharucha; Pp240; Rs 300; Published by National Museum of Indian Freedom Movement The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedom. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular. — Mahatma Gandhi The opening quote of the book by Mahatma Gandhi sums up the true objective of India’s freedom struggle. It also in essence speaks for the multitudes of brave and courageous individuals who aspired to get themselves jailed for the cause of the country’s freedom. A jail term was a strong testimony and credential of patriotism for them. The book has been written by Dr Licy Bharucha, an academically trained political scientist and a scholar of peace studies and Gandhian studies, who was closely associated throughout her life with those who made the struggle for India’s independence the primar...

Warning bells for India: Tribal exploitation by powerful corporate interests may turn into international issue

By Ashok Shrimali* Warning bells are ringing for India. Even as news drops in from Odisha that Adivasi villages, one after another, are rejecting the top UK-based MNC Vedanta's plea for mining, a recent move by two senior scholars Felix Padel and Samarendra Das suggests the way tribals are being exploited in India by powerful international and national business interests may become an international issue. In fact, one has only to count days when things may be taken up at the United Nations level, with India being pushed to the corner. Padel, it may be recalled, is a major British authority on indigenous peoples across the world, with several scholarly books to his credit.

Covid response? How, gripped by fear and groupthink, scientists 'failed' children

By Bhaskaran Raman* “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future”, “Nurture children’s dreams”, “A child’s smile is sunlight”. These are some cliches, rendered rather uninspiring through repetition and obviousness. However, for nearly 2½ years, society forgot these cliches, children suffered as science failed and groupthink prevailed. Worse, all of this has been swept under the rug.

Search This Blog