{"id":4229,"date":"2019-06-28T06:44:32","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T01:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/udaen.info\/?p=4229"},"modified":"2019-06-28T06:44:32","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T01:14:32","slug":"why-116-dalit-farmers-in-gujarat-want-police-protection-from-upper-caste-encroachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/udaen.info\/?p=4229","title":{"rendered":"Why 116 Dalit farmers in Gujarat want police protection from upper caste \u2018encroachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Delhi:<\/strong>\u00a0As many as 116 Dalit farmers from Gujarat approached Chief Minister\u00a0Vijay Rupani<\/a>\u00a0this week for protection over an alleged threat to their life from upper-caste \u201cencroachers\u201d.<\/p>\n

The farmers, who belong to Rapar and Bhachau talukas of Kutch, allege that their upper-caste counterparts have, for 35 years, been preventing them from taking possession of land given to them by the state government for farming.<\/p>\n

Tensions came to a head earlier this month when a Dalit sarpanch named Manji Solanki was murdered allegedly by members of the upper-caste Kshatriya community on 19 June. Solanki was allegedly targeted four times before the fatal attack, including a knife assault on 3 March 2018.<\/p>\n

Solanki was given police protection after the March 2018 attack, but it was withdrawn two months later, on 17 May, and he had reportedly been appealing for protection ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last one year, three Dalits have been killed,\u201d Independent MLA\u00a0Jignesh Mevani<\/a>, a Dalit, said at a media interaction in Gandhinagar Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest being Manji Solanki, whose application for police security had been pending\u2026 I fear that the 116 Dalits from Rapar and Bachau from Kutch district may get killed if they try to take possession of their land.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Kutch superintendent of police Saurabh Tolumbia said the situation was \u201cnot yet as serious as Jignesh Mevani is trying to project\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough there are some problems, police can\u2019t do much about them as the matter is primarily concerned with the collectorate and revenue department,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\n

According to a report by\u00a0India Today<\/em>, the Gujarat government ordered an investigation in 1997 into complaints of big farmers keeping Dalits from cultivating the land allotted to them. The status of the inquiry is yet unknown, said Vinzuda, adding that \u201cno action has been taken on the ground\u201d.<\/p>\n

Governor\u2019s assurance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The struggle for Dalits to reclaim the land has been long, and often bloody. In February 2018, Bhanubhai Vankar, a farmer demanding physical and legal possession of land allotted to Dalit families by the state government,\u00a0set himself on fire<\/a>\u00a0on the premises of Patan collectorate.<\/p>\n

Mevani, along with representatives of several land rights organisations, met Governor O.P. Kohli about the issue Monday. Speaking to the media later, he said the governor had assured them that he would take \u201cnecessary steps in the matter\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Gujarat government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is yet to issue a statement on the matter.<\/p>\n

Babubhai Lakhubhai Jebalia of the BJP Kisan Morcha, the party\u2019s farmer wing, said there was no threat to Dalits in Saurashtra or Kutch, adding that the community didn\u2019t practise farming anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as land possession is considered, the land was allocated on the grounds of practising agriculture\u2026 If nothing had happened on those lands for a few years, the government would\u2019ve taken it back anyway. So they have to present a fresh case rather than rake up such arguments,\u201d added Jebalia, who hails from Botad district in Saurashtra.<\/p>\n

Aarethiya Santokben Bhachubhai, a Congress MLA from Rapar, told ThePrint that \u201cthe issue of Dalit farmers not getting possession of land allocated to them is real\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe support Jignesh Mevani in this movement\u2026 The governor has assured action this time, but promises have repeatedly not been followed on the ground,\u201d he said. \u201cThis time, if the government doesn\u2019t take action, we will lead a statewide protest along with every other party supporting the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n