Gujarat tensed after state-wide bandh over Dalit thrashing

Protests escalated in Gujarat over the brutal thrashing of the community youths in Una town even as incidents of violence were reported from several places across the state.

Enraged community members took out rallies in towns and cities, blocking roads, damaging buses and even a train was stopped near Vadhvan in Surendranagar district.

The bandh called by Dalit outfits in Gujarat over the Dalit-thrashing issue in Una town evoked mixed response.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel visited the victims at Rajkot hospital and met their family members at Una, assuring them that stringent action will be taken against the culprits.

Anandiben visited Mota Samaliyala village in Una, where the alleged incident of beating of seven Dalits had taken place and met family members of the victims.

She told them that the government has taken all measures to ensure that the victims get justice.

“The scene of beating of Dalits will be disturbing to anyone who witnesses it. The beating, in the manner it took place, is not becoming of any civilised society. The state government has done everything possible, including arrest of the accused, and (facilitating) hospitalisation of the injured,” Patel said after the meeting.

The Dalit outfits kept up protests across the state against the assault of some community members on July 11 for allegedly skinning a cow at Una in Gir-Somnath district.

Some parts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat observed total bandh where incidents of stone-pelting, vandalisation of properties, damage to buses and road blockade were witnessed.

The bandh was observed in Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Amreli and some small towns in Saurashtra, and also at Patan town and Aravalli district in North Gujarat.

In Porbandar, a private bus was torched, while several other public transport buses were damaged in many parts of Saurashtra region.

As a precautionary measure, the authorities shut down several routes of state transport buses due to the bandh call and protest by Dalit Panthers and other community outfits.

The protesters blocked several state and some national highways in Saurashtra.

A goods train was stopped by protesters near Vadhvan in Surendranagar district on Bhavnagar-Surendranagar route. Later, the agitators were dispersed by the police.

The situation remained tense in Porbandar city during the day, as a violent mob attacked a police station near the collector’s office and torched several vehicles.

According to Porbandar District SP Tarun Duggal, as many as four policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured in the attack by a mob on a police station near the collector office.

“Around four, including a DySP, one police inspector and one sub-inspector, were injured when a mob attacked the rural police station. The violent mob also damaged four police vehicles and torched a private luxury bus. We are trying our best to calm down the protesters,” said Duggal.

Several shops were also damaged by the mob in Bhavnagar city.

Rajkot also witnessed street protests during the bandh following which around 50 people were detained by police. However, the bandh call was not followed in the town and the situation was normal.

In Patan, a group of protesters pelted stones at a movie theatre, forcing its closure. They also forced road blockade in the town, police said.

In Ahmedabad, the protesters tried to enforce bandh in some pockets, like Chandkheda and Kalapinagar, where they were seen forcing markets and schools to shut down.

The state has been witnessing widespread protests following the incident. The Dalit protests have spread to several parts of the state unleashing violence, in which a head constable was killed during stone-pelting in Amreli district on Tuesday. Besides, state transport buses were attacked and more than 10 members of the community allegedly attempted suicide.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said Rahul Gandhi will meet the Dalit victims and their family members during his visit to the state on Thursday.

“He will land at Diu and reach Una by road tomorrow morning. He is scheduled to meet family members of the victims. Gandhi will then reach Rajkot and meet some of the victims, who are undergoing treatment at a hospital there,” said Doshi.