On January 16, 2024 Ahmedabad Metropolitan Magistrate Court acquitted Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani and 29 others who were booked by Ahmedabad Railway Police for a rail roko protest in 2017 under IPC Section 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly in pursuit of common object), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and Section 153 of Indian Railway Act (endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by wilful act or omission).

According to the FIR filed by the Ahmedabad Railway Police on the day of the incident, i.e., January 11, 2017, Mevani and other protestors from Saroda village were accused of trespassing Kalupur Railway Station and delaying the departure of New Delhi bound Rajdhani Express for 20 minutes by jumping atop of the train engine and blocking the railway track, before being taken into custody by the police. One woman constable was also allegedly injured while arresting the protestors.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P N Goswami noted in his judgement that there were several inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case, with the heavy reliance on police witnesses, accompanied by lack of valid material evidence against the accused. This led the court to give benefit of doubt to the accused, acquitting all, and referring one juvenile to the Juvenile Court for the separate trial.

Brief Background

The rail roko protest at Ahmedabad’s Kalupur Railway Station was organised by Jignesh Mevani, who is now an MLA from Vadgam constituency and convener at Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, along with other protestors for demanding from the state government the possession of land parcels which were allotted to Dalits but which remained in the possession of dominant upper caste, Indian Express reported. Mevani was elected as MLA in December 2017 for his first term in office.

A sessions court had in 2021 refused to discharge him in the case, as per a report in the Economic Times.

Mevani has been previously booked on similar charges by the state government on number of occasions for protesting against the government, and has since been acquitted in some of these cases, including the most recent acquittal in 2023, when he was booked for supporting sanitation workers of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and charged for allegedly vandalising a police vehicle, and rioting. Incidentally, in 2022 the Assam Police came all the way to Gujarat to arrest Mevani in a case registered against him for criticising the Prime Minister Modi on the social media!

After the Una incident in 2016 where four Dalit youths were flogged by the cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow, Mevani had organised a 370 km long street protest for demanding justice for the survivors of the Una violence and asked fellow Dalits to give up their traditional occupation of removing cow carcasses. Since 2015, he has been using public spaces and the street as an efficient mode of protest, and has organised various ‘rasta roko’ and ‘rail roko’ protests.

In the present case while the group was protesting against the state government’s policies and demanding attention of the government, initially the police seemed to have identified Mevani only on the basis of his popularity without conducting an identification parade in the presence of Executive Magistrate, leading to a suspicion over the motives of the police. Pertinently, thirteen out of 31 accused were women.

Case and the judgement analysis

The case against the accused as per the complaint mentions that the accused had “illegally entered platform no. 10 of the Kalupur Railway Station on January 11, 2017,” and “created fear” amongst the passengers of the train. The complaint records that the protestors laid down on the railway track, climbed on the railway engine and chanted slogans against the government. Furthermore, a women police constable, Sangita Devi, was also alleged to have been injured by the accused while removing them from the site. Pertinently, the accused were charged for criminal conspiracy and common intension to carry out the illegal act. Rejecting the claim of the prosecution about the conspiracy, the judgement notes that the “Prosecution has not tried to prove any facts as to where this conspiracy was hatched, who was its mastermind and what was the common intention of the accused. This does not prove a conspiracy. No facts have been brought on record as to what was the illegal intention of the accused in this deed.” (Para 5, Page No. 11, Criminal Case No. – 14899/2017, Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Ahmedabad)[1]

On the accusation that the protestors caused injury to policewoman Sangeeta Devi, the judge referred to her own statement, in which she did not blame the accused for the injury, and the evidence from the doctor that too did not support the claim of the police. The judgement records that the charges were not even proven by the police and the accused were falsely implicated in the case.

The verdict (in translation) reads, “The facts as to what offense was committed by the accused in this work have not been brought on record in the evidence of the Prosecution. The fact that the accused persons were falsely implicated in the commission of this crime should lead to the acquittal of the accused person”. Significantly, it was also observed that the charge under Section 149 of IPC was added just before the chargesheet was filed, after registering the offense, though the court recorded that the facts do not support the prosecution in proving the addition of the said Section.

The court, in its judgement, also pulled up the state for conducting flimsy investigation and providing poor evidence to support the case. The judge recorded that the number from which the (complaint) call came is not mentioned in the complaint by the police personnel nor does it state the name of the person from the control room who called the concerned police personnel to inform them about the incidents. The judgement also notes that the police did not register any complaint against the accused for being on the platform without possessing platform or railway ticket. Additionally, the identification parade was not conducted in the presence of witnesses of the accused by the Executive Magistrate and the accused were not found damaging any railway property or rail tracks.

The verdict found apparent contradictions in the evidence of the prosecution witness and pointed out that he could only identify Jignesh Mevani, but not the rest of the accused persons.

Interestingly, police statements based on the account of prosecution witness did not mention anything about what the crowd was demanding or chanting. The court further identified that most witnesses were from police department, and the police version heavily relied (almost exclusively) on these witnesses.

The judgement observed that “Regarding this incident, witness employees no photography or videography was taken from the R. P. F. employee’s mobile phone in relation to the incident. The names and addresses of the men and women who were on the track at the time of this incident were not verified and their statements were not recorded.” (Para 8, Sub-Para 48, Page No. 118)[2]

Given that no statements of fellow passengers travelling on Rajdhani train were recorded during the incident, the prosecution case was already weakened, but it also suffered from various other evidentiary deficiencies. The court observed that while “It is essential in complaint that the both the complainant and the accused in complaint must have the signature. On seeing the form 154 being shown to witness, it is stated that there is no signature of witness or of the accused as complainant.” (Para 8, Sub-Para 48, Page No. 118)[3]

Noting also the unreliability of the police witnesses, the verdict observes, “If we consider the facts of all the above oral and documentary evidence presented by the Prosecution in this case, it appears that among the witnesses who have presented evidence in this case, all the witnesses except the Police officers do not support the facts of this incident.” (Para 9, Page No. 128)[4]

While the video evidence in the form of a CD was submitted by the police which allegedly recorded the incident, the court rejected it as no certificate of the Indian Evidence Act under Section 65(B) was produced in respect of the CD. The court also found the police deliberately prolonging the case to harass the accused persons and observed, “it appears that the Investigating Officers have deliberately kept defects and defects in the investigation of this work with the intention that the court cannot make any order against the accused by considering the footage contained in this CD as proof against the accused.” (Para 12, Page No. 136)[5]

Commenting on the primary accusation that the accused delayed the train by 20 minutes, the court noted that the documentary evidence for this was not captured when it was available and an inquiry as to why these documents were not seized was never clarified by the officials. Thus, observing that there were “significant lapses and defects” in the investigation, the accused were given benefit of doubt and acquitted by the court.

Conclusion

The shrinking space for protests in civil society through muzzling of dissenting voices has now become a regular phenomenon in this country where the law itself been weaponised to target anyone having a divergent or dissenting viewpoint.

Selective and frequent cases against young opposition leaders who are effective in mobilising their communities has also seen a spike. Such political witch-hunting, especially of opposition voices, needs to be curbed by the enforcement of the rule of the law, and the present judgement does some measure of justice by recognising the misuse of punitive power and procedure and calling out the poor investigation against Jignesh Mevani and others.

The judgement may be read here:

(The author is part of the CJP’s Legal Research Team)

[1] Equivalent Gujarati quotation: “આ કામે પુરાવાની હકીકતો ધ્યાને લેવામાં આવે તો ફરીયાદ પક્ષે આ કાવત્રુ કઈ જગ્યાએ ઘડવામાં આવેલ કોણ તેના સુત્રધાર હતા તહોમતદારોનો સમાન ઈરાદો શું હતો તેવી કોઈ હકીકતો સાબિત કરવાનો પ્રયત્ન કરેલ નથી. આ કામે કાવત્રુ સાબિત થતુ નથી.”

[2] Equivalent Gujarati quotation: “આ ધટના સબંધે સાહેદે કે, સાહેદના કર્મચારીઓએ આર. પી. એફ. ના કર્મચારી એ મોબાઈલ થી કોઈ ફોટો ગ્રાફી કે, વિડીયો ગ્રાફી બનાવ સબંધે ઉતારેલ નહી. આ બનાવ સમયે પાટા પર કેટલા સ્ત્રી પુરુષો હતા તેના નામ સરનામા પુછી તે કોઈ ખરાઈ કરી તેઓના નિવેદનો નોંધેલા નહી”

[3] Equivalent Gujarati quotation: “સાહેદ એ વાત સાથે સહમત છે કે, ફરીયાદમાં ફરીયાદ આપનાર તથા ફરીયાદ લેનાર બન્નેની સહીઓ હોવી જરૂરી છે. સા સાહેદને ૧૫૪નું ફોર્મ બતાવવામાં આવતા જોઈને જણાવેલ છે કે સાહેદની કે ફરીયાદ આપનાર તરીકે ફરીયાદીની કોઈ સહી નથી સાહેદે જણાવેલ છે કે; પી. એસ. ઓ. ની સહી છે.”

[4] Equivalent Gujarati quotation: “આ કામે ફરીયાદ પક્ષે રજૂ રાખવામાં આવેલ ઉપરોકત તમામ મૌખિક અને દસ્તાવેજી પુરાવાઓની હકીકતો ધ્યાને લેવામાં આવે તો એવું જણાઈ આવે છે કે, આ કામે ફરીયાદ પક્ષે પુરાવો રજૂ રાખનાર સાહેદો પૈકી તમામ પોલીસ અધીકારીશ્રીઓ સીવાય અન્ય કોઈ સાહેદો આ બનાવની હકીકતોને સમર્થન કરતા નથી.”

[5] Equivalent Gujarati quotation: “આ હકીકતો ઘ્યાને લેવામાં આવે તો એવું જણાઈ આવે છે કે આ કામના તહોમતદારો વિરૂઘ્ધ આ સીડીમાં રહેલ કુટેજ સાબિત માની અદાલત તહોમતદારોની વિરૂઘ્ધમાં કોઈ હુકમ કરી શકે નહી તેવા આશયથી તપાસ કરનાર અધીકારીશ્રીઓએ આ કામેની તપાસમાં જાણી જોઈને ક્ષતિ અને ખામી રાખી દીધેલ હોય તેવું જણાઈ આવે છે”

Related:

Is the Right to Protest in India a protected Fundamental Right?

Dalit lives continue to be at risk across the country, from Karnataka to Rajasthan

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Over 50,000 Dalits from UP, Delhi and elsewhere in north India braved the blistering heat and defied the Delhi police to stage a massive protest in the nation’s capitol on Sunday.  
The 30-year-old lawyer and founder of the ‘Bhim Army’ Chandrashekhar, who had gone undercover following the anti-Dalit atrocities by Thakur in Saharanpur on May 5, surfaced at the rally, delivered a fiery speech. Hundreds of posters greeted Chandrashekhar, including one which read, “Racism isn’t born, its taught”.

Amidst repeated chants of “Jai Bhim” that resounded at Jantar Mantar, Chandrashekhar, “Main kayar nahin hoon. Meri awaaz aap tak pahunchana tha. Issi liye abhi tak chupa tha. Ab main surrender karronga” (I am not a coward. I wanted my message to reach you. I will surrender now). Later he went to a local court to surrender but was told to do so in Saharanpur.

On May 5, Thakurs had lodged a full scale attack on Dalits in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district in UP. They burnt more than 58 houses along with 4 shops, motorcycles, vans, provisions etc, looted jewellery and seriously injured 14 Dalits, including women and children.

According to the police, Chandrashekhar has been absconding since the alleged violent protests on May 9 in response to the earlier incidents of May 5.

Also read: President Mukherjee anguished over attack on Dalits in Saharanpur, promises to

Also read: Saharanpur a test for Yogi’s government

At Jantar Mantar rally, the leader of the ‘Bhim Army’ declined to don the blue turban presented to him as a mark of honour. “Main pagdi tab tak sweekar nahin karoonga jab tak desh mein bhagwa aatankwaad khatam nahin hota” (I will not wear a turban until saffron terrorism is rooted out from the country)”, he said.

“This is our country and we will not let it break-up,” he added. He called upon Dalits present at the rally to lodge complaints of atrocities against Dalits with their respective district authorities on May 23.

Many Muslim leaders and activists also participated in the rally which was addressed among others by the Dalit activist from Gujarat, Jignesh Mewani, former president of JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar and Satya Pal Tanwar, national president of ‘Ek Nigahein’.

Mewani who has been playing a major role in mobilizing and raising Dalit demands in Gujarat since the Una incident said: “There are some politicians who call themselves Ambedkar bhakts. But in this country Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis are being attacked. Is this what is meant by sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas?

Tanwar said that Dalits had held a peaceful demonstration in Saharanpur on May 6 and given the police 24 hours to act against those responsible for the attack on Dalits in Shabbirpur village the previous day. When the police failed to act, Dalits held a peaceful rally on May 9. Tanwar alleged that without any provocation not only did the police lathi-charge the demonstrators, Bajrang Dal activists even resorted to firing at the Dalits.

After the rally a memorandum was handed over to the President of India demanding penal action against the errant police and activists of the Bajrang Dal.

The Delhi police told the media later that though permission had been denied for the rally at Jantar Mantar, they did not intervene since a large number was present and also because the rally was peaceful.
 

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आपको बता दें कि वाइब्रेंट गुजरात ग्लोबल समिति में प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी भाग लेने गए थे जिसके लिए इन नेताओं ने इस कार्यक्रम का विरोध करने की चेतावनी दी थी जिससे जिला पुलिस ने कार्यक्रम में खलल न डालें इस डर से इन नेताओं को नजरबंद कर दिया था। 
 
जिग्नेश मेवाणी को मंगलवार सुबह उनके घर से गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया वहीं पाटीदार नेता वरुण पटेल और ओबीसी नेता विक्रम राठौर को सरोदा गांव में नजरबंद कर दिया गया। वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधिकारियों ने बताया कि मेवाणी के खिलाफ आईपीसी की धारा 188 के तहत केस दर्ज होने के बाद उन्हें गिरफ्तार किया गया। 
 
पुलिस ने दो घंटे के लिए ठाकोर सेना के नेता अल्पेश ठाकुर को भी नजरबंद किया था। ओबीसी आंदोलन के नेता अल्पेश ठाकोर ने कहा था कि वे वाइब्रेंट गुजरात समिति कतई नहीं होने देंगे। प्रधानमंत्री इस सम्मेलन में भाग लेने के लिए गुजरात आ रहे हैं। वे उनका घेराव करेंगे। अल्पेश ने कहा था कि राज्य का नौजवान बेरोजगार है। वे तीन महीने के अंदर 3 लाख यूवाओं को रोजगार मुहैया कराने की मांग प्रधानमंत्री के सामने रखेंगे।
 
ठाकुर ने कहा कि हम आम आदमी के अधिकारों के लिए लड़ रहे हैं और पीएम मोदी के सामने उन मुद्दों को रखना चाहते थे। हालांकि जैसे ही हम गांधीनगर के अदालज से रैली करने की घोषणा की वैसे ही हमें नजरबंद कर दिया गया।

Courtesy: National Dastak

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Jignesh Mevani, December 15, 2016, four months into the inspiring post Una Dalit agitation

 
“Land reforms, so vital to explode the feudal structure of Indian society, are now getting into the Dalit agenda. This agenda was, for years, choked up with the rhetoric of raising the crucial, but limiting atrocity-related issues, the discourse of ‘Bhramanwaad and  Manuwaad,’ not raising the existential issues of brass-tag economic/class issues of roti kapda and makaan.
 
“For India’s Dalits, down-trodden and marginalized the struggle for self-dignity is material or equal to the struggle for economic access and parity. Post globalization India more sharply raised the need for this demand to be articulated at the forefront of the agenda.
 
“But now, after the Una struggle, issues of economic deprivation of India’s depressed castes are squarely on the agenda and even the conventional Dalit leadership –except for the few who do not want Dalits to break out of their shackles—have welcomed this broadening of the movement.
 
“I see thing something new emerging. We shall march in CPIM-ruled Kerala from January 26-March 5 to ensure that the 5 lakh acres of land promised to Kerala’s Dalits are actually given over to them. We shall march from Bodh Gaya to Patna after that to ensure that the 22 lakh acres of land promised and identified by the JD(U) and RJD government –that won the imagination of the people through the promise of social justice –becomes a reality not a pipedream.
 
“In Chotila Block of Surendranagar and Saroda Block of Dholka, 700 acres of land will now be accessible to 300 families worth Rs 150 crores: Jignesh Mevani

“Ghunghat se Nata Todo, Zameen Se Nata Jodo, is the renewed slogan of Dalit women and men in Gujarat as they march through villages demanding economic and social justice. That will be the new slogan in Gujarat from April 14 onwards when we say ‘No’ to the contract system of employment that affects the quality of 50-60,000 jobs in Gujarat. Our attempt is to look at caste based discrimination and violence in parallel with economic deprivation.
 
“For Muslim brethren of Gujarat, basic civic rights are an issue: acute ghettoisation in the urban areas, with Muslims living in slums and chawls but without basic amenities: Sadak, Gutter, Bijli Paani.
 
“Legal Battle: In the petition being argued in person by Mewani, state government authorities have admitted on affidavit that yes, so many thousands of acres of land is due to Dalit of Gujarat and yet thet have not given an inch of possession yet. This admission by the state government is on land earmarked and the rightful due of Dalits in the districts of Ahmedabad and Surendranagar (Chotila). It is a shame that despite this admission that this land is the legal and rightful due of Gujarat’s Dalits, there is an absence of political and administrative will of the state: there has been no land measurement, no removal of encroachments, no filing of offences and prosecution under Section 3(1)(f) of the Atrocities Act.
 
“What is the use of the legal process when the state tells the Court, “that the problem and information is so huge, that implementation is an impossible task”! And the state then pleads for the dismissal of the petition despite every grievance being accepted and proven. It us unheard of in any civilized sense. The Court (Gujarat High Court had been hearing my petition, found merits in the grievances, appointed a team of three Nodal Officers of the state; this team examines the ground level records accepts the denial of rights: the State is admitting shamefully before the court that it has failed in governance and cant implement its own policies
 
“We need to step up the agitation, the struggle for justice and redressal. While the petition in the court remains, the agitation and mobilizations on the street must continue. We have been more successful on the streets.
 
“In Surendranagar we blocked the roads in agitation (link) in November 2016 and compelled the state to begin land measurements for 532 acres in the Chotila block in district Surendranagar. In Saroda block of Dholka, after compelling protests, the administration began measurement of 220 bighas of land, only after the protests. Through all this, we will manage within a month Rs 150 crores worth of land measuring 700 acres and the beneficiaries will be more than 300 Dalit families
 
“These are the baby steps and concrete victories of the post-Una Dalit struggle in Gujarat. The larger picture is that there are thousands of acres which are our due.When Gujarat and Saurashtra were separate, under the Uchangbhai Dhebar government, Patels obtained 12 lakh acres and 25 lakh acres through land reform. In comparison, what Dalits have got is a pittance!

“Land to the Tiller has become Land to the Tycoons in Gujarat and India and we need to restore the balance: Jignesh Mevani
 
“Access to land and tilling rights are crucial to dissemble the feudal structure but these are only the first steps since after getting land allocated the rest of the struggle to enforce due access to subsidies for seeds, grain and fertilizer to ensure real participation in the agrarian protest will and must continue. So gaining access to land is the first concrete step of the struggle after which we need to deepen and further access through affirmative action and representation; rigour in the production process.
 
“For this a mass Dalit uprising and consciousness is required which is not taking place. There are scattered attempts so the next stage(s) is consolidation of this wider consciousness all over the country. There is hope from all over the country but there are also many many challenges.

Jignesh Mevani has become the face of the young Ambedkarite struggle for economic and social justice for India’s Dalits says that the push of the Gujarat Dalit movement has set the right tone both in Gujarat and outside, in the rest of the country.
 

Ten Specific Demands: Aazadi Koon March is Making

One
The Prevention of Anti-Social Acts (PASA) should be applied to all Accused for the Una Thrashing and Humiliation of Dalits on July 11 so that they are re-arrested when released on bail. All other accused should be arrested forthwith
 
Two 
Police Officers Complicit in the Humiliation and Beating of Dalit Tanners on July 11 should be Speedily Charged and Prosecuted with Sections of Criminal Conspiracy and Atrocities Act included against them
 
Three
Frivolous complaints against 70-80 Dalits lodged last Sunday, July 31 –43 such frivolous cases were lodged by the Gujarat police in Dhodka alone—simply for agitating and participating in the historic demonstration last Sunday (July 31) should be withdrawn speedily and immediately.
 
Four
The charges and prosecution of those Police Officers found guilty of shooting to kill, using AK 47s, peacefully protesting Dalits in 2012 (Thangadh, Surendranagar) in 2012 should be expedited. It is four years now and not only has the Enquiry Report not made public but the charge sheet has also not been filed!
 
Five
Special Courts for Offences under the Atrocities Act, a must under the law should be set up in all 25 districts of Gujarat state.
 
Six
Five Acre Plots must be Duly and Fairly allotted to Dalits forthwith as is required under Section 3(1)(f) of the Atrocities Act.
 
Seven
All Nagar Pallikas (City Corporations/Local Bodies) in Gujarat should pay the Safai Karmncahris wages on par with the Sixth Pay Commission.
 
Eight
A Reservation Act should be enacted in Gujarat immediately. Today all reservations/affirmative actions in Gujarat are at the discretion of the Exevutive and are initiated or effected only through a Government Resolution/GR.
 
Nine
Budgetary Allocations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs/STs) should be used exclusively for these sections. Today the funds so allocated are diverted elsewhere by the Gujarat Government.
 
Ten
Gujarat Government should Apologise Publicly Before Dalits of the Country for Withdrawing and Pulping the Book on Dr Babsaheb Ambedkar that spoke about his Radical Thoughts on Hindusim and the 22 Point Oath he Took to Convert to Buddhism in 1956.
 

 
Official figures point to a 44 percent increase in violence against Dalits in 2014, the year in which the BJP came to power at the Centre, as compared to 2010. A full 30 percent of the 47,064 crimes in 2014 were committed in four BJP-ruled states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.

Just in last few weeks, Dalits were beaten by Bajrang Dal activists in Congress Party-ruled Karnataka, they were thrashed in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Maharashtra, and were urinated upon in Nitish Kumar’s Bihar. Cow vigilantes attacked Dalits in Lucknow even while the agitation in Gujarat was underway.
 
Further Demands of the Aazadi Kooch March also also include:

1. The 1,20,000 applications for Land under the Forest Rights Act received from Adivasis by the Gujarat Government should be immediately distributed as per the provisions of the law.
2. Dalits of Gujarat are demanding licensed weapons for self-defence. Security is a huge issue for Dalits of Gujarat. We do not feel safe in Gujarat, we are being attacked in Villages.
3. Taleem (Training/Education) Centres to Teach Dalits Martial Arts, Judo Karate like they do for other Castes and Communities during the Khel Maha Kumbh.
4. Smart Centres for Dalits to Enable them to Rise Over the Social Ostracisation and Boycotts and Live in Sattelite area, Narangpura and Navrangpura’s posh localities
5. Narendra Modi’s Start Up India Campaign should have Special Economic Provisions for Dalits who want to leave this thankless work and rehabilitate themselves into Dignified Labour.  

Related Articles:

 1. In Gujarat, 95 Of 100 Suspects In Crimes Against Dalits Acquitted
 2. Dalits in the Hindu Rashtra, A Close Look at the Gujarat Model
3.The Dalit Revolt in Hindutva’s Successful Laboratory: Gujarat
 

The post Land to the Dalit Tiller, not to Tycoons is our Mission: Jignesh Mevani appeared first on SabrangIndia.

गुजरात में दलित युवा नेता जिग्नेश मेवानी के नेतृत्व में अन्य कई संघर्ष शील साथियों ने मिलकर उना दलित अत्याचार लड़्त समिति बनाई .अहमदाबाद में लाखों की तादाद में एकत्र हो कर उना में हुए जुल्म की जबरदस्त मुखालफत की .

गुजरात के दलित भाई बहनों ने अहमदाबाद की संभा ओर उसके बाद निकाले गए दलित अस्मिता मार्च में संकल्प लिया कि भविष्य में वे मरे हुये जानवर उठाने का अमानवीय काम कभी नहीं करेंगे .दलितों ने अपने लिए गरिमापूर्ण आजीविका की जरुरत हेतु जमीन आवंटन की मांग उठाई .उन्होंने " गाय की पूंछ तुम रखो – हमें जमीन का अधिकार दो"  का क्रांतिकारी नारा दिया .

भाई जिग्नेश मेवानी और उनके जांबाज़ साथियों के नेतृत्व में उना अत्याचार लड़्त समिति और राष्ट्रीय दलित अधिकार मंच द्वारा 1अक्टूबर 2016 को मणिनगर रेल्वे फाटक पर रेल रोको आन्दोलन किया जा रहा  है .

दलित भूमि अधिकार के इस आन्दोलन को मैं अपना पूर्णत समर्थन व्यक्त करता हूँ. इस मांग को मजबूत  बनाने के लिए मैं 1अक्टूबर को सुबह 10 बजे अहमदाबाद पंहुच रहा हूँ तथा आपसे भी अपील करता हूँ कि इस रेल रोको आन्दोलन में शिरकत करने जरुर अहमदाबाद आईये.

सादर

आपका ही
साथी
भंवर मेघवंशी
( स्वतंत्र पत्रकार एवं सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता,भीलवाड़ा, राजस्थान ,मोबाईल- 9571047777)

The post दलित अधिकार मंच द्वारा रेल रोको आन्दोलन में शिरकत करने की अपील appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Jignesh Mewani has been detained by Gujarat Police late om the evening of Friday, September 16 as he returned to Ahmedabad. Just two days before he had declared on Facebook, ""I had a Dream that Tables were Flung at PM Modi’s Rally". Jignesh Mevani had vowed to protest at Modi’s Rally in Gujarat on September 17. Clearly the detention is to try and de-rail this protest. Sabrangindia has been tracking developments in Gujarat since July 11. Read: Badbu Gujarat Ki, Greetings to Amitabh Bachchan.

Reactions to this detention have been widespread:

Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau Member, CPIM – "Strongly condemn. Modi proxy can not tolerate criticism of Gujarat model. It will invite anger. Voices for Justice can't be suppressed."

Subhasini Ali, Senior Leader, CPIM – "This is a shocking display of intolerance and it will be resisted all over the country."

Teesta Setalvad, Sabrangindia.in – "Days ago Jignesh challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly. There is no doubt that the Government of Gujarat is trying to silence this challenge. Jignesh had said, 'I dreamt that tables were flung at Modi's rally on his birthday, September 17;' Detaining him is the greatest act of repression."

Umar Khalid, JNU- "I strongly condemn the illegal detention of Jignesh Mewani by the Gujarat Police, which is nothing short of a kidnapping. The fact that it comes on the eve of the PM's birthday, for which he is going to Gujarat, shows the morbid fear of the present ruling dispensation to the oppressed people's struggle for justice and dignity. The una movement in the den of the Hindutva forces had shaken them immensely, and these are just desperate measures to break that movement which is spreading like wildfire across the country. But little do they realize that through such actions the end of their oppressive regime comes near. In complete solidarity with Jignesh Mewani. "

On Friday, Jignesh Mevani had addressed a rally in Delhi, sharing a stage with senior leaders of the left parties.Taking part in the rally, Jignesh Mevani, who floated the Dalit Atyachar Ladhai Samiti following flogging of Dalits in Gujarat’s Una, seconded Yechury and said his front will struggle for self-respect of community members in the light of the alleged attacks and also for ensuring “roti, kapada aur makan” for them. He also sought to pick holes in the Gujarat model of development, accusing the BJP-led state government of not keeping electoral promises on providing housing facilities and employment. “We will expose this hollow development model…besides protesting casteism, we want to expose this hollow Gujarat model of development,” he added.

DEVELOPING STORY

1) He has been arrested in light of Prime Minister Modi's birthday tomorrow and will be released on Sunday .

2) CPI(M) Lucknow and progressive groups have called out people to protest in Lucknow on 17th September at 4pm near Ambedkar statue at Hazratganj.

3)  Rihai Manch Lucknow-

दलित आंदोलन के नेता जिग्नेश मेवाणी की गुजरात पुलिस द्वारा अवैध हिरासत लोकतंत्र की हत्या – रिहाई मंच
 
लखनऊ 16 सितम्बर 2016। रिहाई मंच ने ऊना दलित अत्याचार लड़त समिति के संयोजक जिग्नेश मेवाणी को दिल्ली से लौटते हुए गुजरात पुलिस द्वारा अवैध हिरासत में लिए जाने को लोकतंत्र की हत्या करार देते हुए तत्काल दलित आंदोलन के नेता की रिहाई की मांग की है।
 

जारी प्रेस विज्ञप्ति में रिहाई मंच प्रवक्ता शाहनवाज आलम ने कहा कि दिल्ली में दलित स्वाभिमान संघर्ष रैली में जिग्नेश मेवाणी के 1 अक्टूबर को रेल रोको के ऐलान से घबराई मोदी सरकार ने मेवाणी को गिरफ्तार करवाकर अपनी दलित विरोधी राजनीति को एक बार फिर से उजागर किया। उन्होंने कहा कि आज जब गुजरात के दलित अपने हक-हुकूक और अधिकार के लिए खड़े होकर मोदी के गुजरात माॅडल का पोस्टमार्टम कर रहे है जिसने संघी ताकतों का मंसूबा ध्वस्त कर दिया है। मंच प्रवक्ता ने कहा कि जिग्नेश की गिरफ्तारी ने साफ किया है कि ‘गाय की पूंछ तुम रखो, हमको हमारी जमीन दो’ के नारे से आक्रोशित दलित चेतना से मोदी सरकार कितनी भयभीत है। यह गिरफ्तारी जहां पूरे देश को आंदोलित करेगी वहीं यह मोदी सरकार की ताबूत में आखिरी कील साबित होगी।

3) Pradeep Sharma's Facebook post- The Dalit Swabhiman Sangharsh Rally saw massive participation of Dalits and toiling masses from across the country. It reaffirmed the commitment to fight caste oppression and RSS brand of cultural nationalism. The Rally also points to the possibility of building broadest Issue-Based Unity on these issues while also retaining differences on certain issues. In the course of the united Struggles the issues of differences should be addressed with continuous engagement and in a genuine manner. That will help build a unity that can resist reactionary forces and achieve historic victories. It is a long drawn Struggle and addressing genuine concerns are part of cementing the unity.  (From the wall of Pradeep Sharma, Lecturer of Sociology in Shia College Former SFI leader)

The post DEVELOPING STORY: Dalit Leader Jignesh Mewani detained by Gujarat Police appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Badbu Gujarat, a Thousand Plus Post Cards Convey the Stink from Gujarat’s Streets to Amitabh Bachan a campaign launched a few days ago, on which the commercial television media is silent. Mewani, leader of large sections of Gujarat Dalits have vowed to protest at Modi’s rally in the state on Gujarat 17.

Yesterday, September 14, Jignesh Mewani had a dream. And as is the way with the radical younger generation of leaders he posted this on Facebook, “Muje sapna aaya hai ki P.M.Modi ki sabha me table ucchale jayenge. I had a dream that at prime minister Modi’s rally tables were flung in protest.” “Muje sapna aaya hai ki p.m ki sabha me khurshiya(tables) ucchal ne wale hai kyunki unhone adivashiyo ki forest Rights act ke that 1,20,000 pending applications clear nahi ki…bhai sapna to sapna hai aa bhi shakta hai…” (Adivasis are upset that over 12,000 applications for land made by them under the Forest Rights Act have not been granted)

The Facebook post came in the wake of the Gujarat police’s rather crude attempts once again, in denying permission to the vibrant Dalit movement to hold a meeting, exactly at the spot where the ruling  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh combine (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,RSS and affiliates) held their 'samajika samrasta' last fortnight.

Mevani terms this as ‘an event to fool Dalits to take them to the BJP fold just a few days ago’. He adds: ‘Come what may, we will go and will be announcing the date of Rail-roko as Gujarat government is not initiating the procedure to hand over 5 acres of land as per our demand of Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti…Alpesh Thakor, strong OBC leader may join us today at the sabha. Support is increasing and struggle is on. If police is not going to give permission, thousands of Dalits are ready to get arrested. Will also be making a crucial announcement regarding prime minister Modi's upcoming Gujarat visit scheduled on September 17, which is his birthday…”

Badbu Gujarat Ki, a Unique Campaign
Determined not abandon the resistance, Gujarat’s Dalits have launched a unique campaign against the star of Gujarat tourism, Amitabh Bachan The commercial television media has been conspicuous by its silence on this campaign. Asian Age, September 14 says, “The tagline 'Badbu (stink) Gujarat Ki' is a parody of Tourism Department's famous television ad ‘Khushbu (scent) Gujarat Ki’.”

At least 1,100 postcards with a small message and tagline 'Badbu (stink) Gujarat Ki' were sent to state tourism's brand ambassador and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday by Dalits as part of a campaign to highlight "atrocities" against them in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The punchline of the campaign is a parody of the Tourism Department's famous television advertisement "Khushbu Gujarat Ki (scent of Gujarat)" featuring the megastar.The campaign was kicked off from Kalol town in Gandhinagar district.

'Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti' convener Jignesh Mevani claimed that hundreds of carcasses of cows are rotting in the state and Dalits want Bachchan to come and "enjoy the stench of Gujarat".The unique protest was conceptualised by 'Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti' and 'Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch' against the backdrop of flogging of Dalits for allegedly skinning a dead cow. Please see this Interview (We invite Amitabh Bachchan to see 'Badbu Gujarat ki': Jignesh Mewani – Tv9 Gujarati)

"We have started this campaign from Kalol, where at least 1,100 Dalits sent one post card each to Bachchan. All the postcards bear a common printed message which urges him to visit Gujarat and sniff the stink coming out of cattle carcasses, as Dalits have stopped disposing them of as part of their protest against atrocities in Una," he said.The flogging incident in July, allegedly perpetrated by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes, had sparked off a massive unrest in state.

"We have given up disposing the carcasses. Hundreds of cows are lying dead and stinking all over the state. Now that we have given up disposing dead cows, we are inviting Bachchan to come here, spend some time and enjoy the 'badbu' of Gujarat," Mevani said.

He said more such postcards will be sent to Mr Bachchan from various cities of the state.Mevani claimed that a team of Dalit leaders would also visit Mumbai to hand over one such postcard in person to Bachchan.

Meanwhile Anand’s Dalits are also protesting the high-handedness of the upper castes’ and state administration. The Times of India reports that Dalits on indefinite hunger strike in a village.

“Dalits in Malataj village of Anand's Sojitra taluka have gone on indefinite hunger strike demanding action against `illegal' construction of a temple of local deity `Meldi Maa'.The temple along with a hall have been constructed by members of the Rabari community . The dalits of the village have alleged that when they had objected to the construction in June, a mob of around 200 had beaten them up.”

Local Dalits had registered a police complaint against the mob but, predictably the district police had taken no action against the accused.“The temple has been illegally constructed on 2,000 sq m land obstructing entrance to Vankar Vaas and Rohit Vaas which is home to all dalits of the village,“ said Dilip Rohit, one of the agitators told the media. Dalits claim that the mandaps leading upto the temple are also obstructing the road/pathways to Dalit homes. Though a complaint under the Atrocities Act had been registered three months ago, on June 15 at the Maltej Police Station, to date no identification parade of the accused has been conducted nor remand of the accused sought. In the month of June, approximately 2,000 Dalits had taken out a rally in Anand and submitted a memorandum to district collector against the illegal construction.

It is the failure of the authorities to respond that has led to the declaration of an indefinitenite hunger strike.
 

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