Indiatimes.com: Gujarat: Wednesday,
August 31, 2016.
Call it
irony, but Porbandar in Saurashtra, the birthplace of Mahtama Gandhi, has
recorded the maximum cases of forced Dalit displacement and migration in
Gujarat. What's further ironical is that the displaced also includes an elected
sarpanch too. Suman Chavda, 44, was elated when he got elected as the sarpanch
of Vinzrana village of Porbandar in 2012. Out of the 1500 people living in this
village, over 500 are Dalits. However, soon afterwards, according to Sumanbhai,
44, his problems began. "Not just the upper castes but even OBCs ganged
up. I was constantly reminded by the panchayat members that I was a Dalit and
hence my presence was only for cosmetic value. My being a sarpanch was
immaterial."
'Intolerance
Has Gone Up'
"I had
faced discrimination in the past, too. Unfortunately, of late, intolerance and
bigotry towards Dalits has only intensified', he says. The population in
Vinzrana comprises Dalits, Mers, Brahmins, Muslims and Rabaris (shepherd).
Sumanbhai has not been allowed to enter the village since over a year. "I
thought I had a chance at a better life after being elected the sarpanch. But
when I refused to skin a dead cow, the non-Dalit community ganged up against
me". Discrimination towards him, he says, aggravated after he filed an RTI
to blow off the lid of financial discrepancies in the local school project.
'How can a non- Dalit question us?' was what got them furious.
Sumanbhai was
beaten up by nine people on September 4, 2012. He does not know how many
fractures he suffered but claims, "I am 60 per cent disabled. The fibula
in both my legs has been broken". Even today, he can barely walk without
help. After Sumanbhai registered a police complaint under the IPC and
Prevention of Atrocity Act (PoA), he received many threats. He was also
provided police protection, but it was "suddenly withdrawn" in 2015.
Since then, he has not entered his village except on days when there are
panchayat meetings. Today, all the accused are on bail.
'Constable
Accompanies Me'
During
panchayat meetings, he is provided a constable for his security. He attends the
meetings and comes back to his tarpaulin tent in Sitaramnagar on Airport road
where he lives with his aged parents. "I was hoping to live a life of
dignity after becoming the sarpanch. Over 50 per cent population in my village
are Dalits. Forget dignity, now I am a handicapped. All because I refused to
skin a dead cow," he says. A few months ago, Sumanbhai converted to Islam
after applying to the Collectorate, seeking to change his religion. He told
Mirror, "I have approached all top officials, right from the mamlatdar to
the governor, begging of them to provide my family safety and security back in
Vinzrana. I go to the village only during the panchayat meeting as they would
need me to sign on documents to initiate development work."
'He Lives
Outside His Village'
When
contacted, Tarun Duggal, Superintendent of Police, Porbandar, said that Suman
Chavda's case was being investigated and that he was being provided police
protection. "We have given him adequate police protection. However, since
he has a house outside his village, he prefers to live there," said
Duggal. Rebutting his claims, Chavda said, "If I enter my village, they
would kill me. The SP's claims are absolutely false. It is a crime to be a
Dalit." Talking to Mirror, Porbandar collector Dinesh Patel said, "I
am not aware of these cases as many of them are old. I am posted here for only
over a year now and will have to go through case papers before
commenting."
Porbandar has
registered nine cases of forced migration involving 600 Dalits in the past 26
years, the highest in Gujarat. However, it is not just the ruling BJP that can
be blamed for this. Even when the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Party (headed
by Shankarsinh Vaghela) or Janata Dal Gujarat (headed by the late Chimanbhai
Patel) was in power, it was Porbandar that topped the list. Ahmedabad and
Banaskantha are close behind with seven and six cases respectively, according
to data shared by Navsarjan, a human rights NGO.
Navsarjan
carried out a detailed study of 1,589 villages in Gujarat with Robert F Kennedy
Centre for Justice and Human Rights. The Understanding Untouchability report
highlights that despite growing domestic and international concern and a
constitutional prohibition on untouchability, it not only survives but thrives.
There are separates garbas, separate prayer places and burial grounds for
Dalits in Gujarat.
'The Hype
Is Deliberate'
Dushyant
Gautam, BJP's national president for Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha, told Mirror,
"There is a deliberate hype like Dadri being created in Gujrat. Dalits are
in fact very safe in the state. Look at UP. The hype is created for political
purpose. The anti-nationals, award-wapsi gang, pseudo seculars, the Dadri gang
and anti-Modi brigade is active here. This is a deliberate attempt to defame
Modiji who has done phenomenal work for Dalit welfare. With UP polls around, I
see a pattern in how things are unfolding."
He added,
"Just go to UP, There are 30,000 complaints of atrocity on Dalits and over
1,000 Dalits have been killed in Mayawati's regime. Compared to this, Gujarat
has seen nothing. Even Una pales in comparison. Still, Gujarat has become the
epicentre of Dalit issues." Gautam asserted that he believed PM Narendra
Modi was above any class or caste. "However, Mayawati, who has used
Dalits, is now trying to become the Messiah of the downtrodden. No nationalist
and secular Indian can digest the fact that Dalits are being discriminated
against in Gujarat," he said, adding that the forces playing up Dalit
issues in Gujarat want to tear up the country's social fabric.
'Figures
Manipulated'
Minister of
Social Justice and Empowerment Atmaram Parmar, however, maintained that there
were no incidents of forced migration in the state. "The figures are
manipulated by Navsarjan NGO to defame the state at national and international
level," he said. He said that there may be some cases where Dalits face
problems and leave villages, but the state government ensures that all help is
provided to them. However, Martin Macwan, a leading Dalit rights activist from
Gujarat disagrees.
Macwan, 54,
winner of the 2000 Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award, recipient of Gleitsman
Foundation's Activist of the Year Award and Human Rights Watch awardee says
that the recent spate of incidents against Dalits in the state indicated the
growing intolerance against the community. Macwan, who has been honoured for
his work by Human Rights Watch, says Gujarat government has failed in
protecting the Dalits.
'600
Dalits Ousted'
In the past
few years, over 600 Dalits have been ousted from Vanana, Nagka, Drafa and
Boddar villages of Ranavav taluka; Khristi, Vinzrana and Bhomiyavadar, Sodhana
villages of Porbandar taluka and Shegras in Kutiyana taluka of Porbander.
"Gujarat lacks a political will to tackle Dalit issues. Discrimination is
a major issue. I wish all political parties in Gujarat unite to fight this
issue," says Macwan, adding, "Today, Dalits are more aware of their
constitutional rights. About 12 per cent of total Dalit population in Gujarat
lives across Saurashtra, which is dominated by Kshatriyas and Patels. Hence,
there are more incidences of Dalit-Kshatriya and Dalit- Patel conflicts."
Meanwhile, Ambalal Rohit, president of BJP SC Morcha, refused to comment on the
migration issue of Dalits in the state. He said he could comment only after he
went through the details of each case.
Ahmedabad
Close Behind
In Ahmedabad,
Dalits have been forced out of Aniyali (Dhandhuka taluka), Vanthal (Viramgam),
Kundal (Sanand), Goraj (Sanand), Alav (Ranpur), and Kesharadi and Bhayla
villages of Bavla taluka. Six Dalit families were displaced in Sambarda
(Palanpur taluka), Ramun (Deesa), Dhada (Deesa), Rachiyana (Vav) and Lalpur
(Vav) and Adrana (Vadgam taluka) villages of Banaskantha.
In 1990,
Popatbhai Chanchiya, 45, aresident of Khristi village, was forced to migrate
after he refused to engage in forced labour. Khristi, with a population of
1,300, has around 80 Dalits residing here. Recounting his tale, Chanchiya said,
he and fellow Dalits were beaten up by the Mer community, which owned all the
agriculture land in the village. About 125 Dalits from the village then sat on
fast outside collector's office for 15 days. Following their representation,
the government rehabilitated them to Dharampur village where they were also
given farm land.
Parmar said
they have lost touch with Khristi village and don't even visit it. Senior
Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia, who has represented Porbandar in Gujarat
Assembly, said, "Discrimination and atrocities against Dalits is on an
all- time high time in Gujarat. The cases of forced migration of Dalits in the
district is worrisome and immediate action should be taken. Even though there
are instances of some people misusing the Prevention of Atrocity Act, we
largely have people who are real victims and need immediate help from the
government. The BJP government is anti-Dalit."
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