The following is a Memorandum to the Governor of Gujarat, initiated by statement issued by the Movement for Secular Democracy and signed by many eminent personalities in the state, demanding a judicial inquiry into the attacks on Dalits in Una by cow-vigilantes. The memorandum was sent on 16 July 2016.
(079) 26404418
MOVEMENT FOR SECULAR DEMOCRACY (M.S.D.)
C/o. Narmad Meghani Library, Opp. Natraj Railway Crossing, Meethakhali, Ahmedabad- 380 006.
Date: 14-7-2016
To,
The Honourable Governor,
Gujarat,
Gandhinagar.
Sub: Appointing a Judicial Commission for the Investigation in the Matter of Atrocities on Dalits in Una of Gir Somnath District
Dear Sir,
It is a matter of pain that when the entire nation is celebrating 125th Birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Gujarat has created a precedent of atrocities on Dalits!
We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the ghastly incident of atrocities on four Dalit youth in Una of Geer Somnath district. We demand to immediately appoint Judicial Commission for the investigation of the entire matter.
We would also like to draw your attention towards the fact that there has been continuous rise in the incidents of atrocities on dalits in Gujarat. We place below the statistics of atrocities on dalits according to a report:
| BANASKANTHA | 1133 |
| JUNAGADH | 830 |
| SURENDRANAGAR | 756 |
| AHMEDABAD | 693 |
Further, there has been 20 cases of killings of dalits as well as 50 cases of rapes on dalit women every year in Gujarat. These statistics are quiet shocking and very serious.
Under the circumstances, We, on behalf of Movement for Secular Democracy, demand to appoint Judicial Commission to investigate the incident of Una. Along with that we also demand:
- The Chief of the Police and Administration of those districts which are defamed for atrocities on women should be punished.
- The Police administration should be made free from any kind of caste discrimination, prejudices, etc.
- Sensitise Police and administration towards the socially underpriviledged section of the society.
We are the signatories
Name
Prakash N. Shah Girishbhai Patel Dwarikanath Rath
Convenor, M.S.D. Well known advocate Secretary, M.S.D.
Dr. Mallika Sarabhai Prof. Ghanshyam Shah Gautam Thaker
Danseuse and activist Social analyst General Secretary, Gujarat, P.U.C.L.
Soli Sorabji Prof. Upendra Baxi Dr. Anamik Shah
(Former Attorney General) (Former Vice Chancellor) Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth
Prof. Rohit Shukla Prof. K.S. Shastri Prof. Makarand Mehta
President, Gujarat Chapter, AISEC Former Vice Chancellor Retired Professor
Dr. Vidhyut Joshi Prof. Dhaval Mehta Advocate Ami Yagnik
Former Vice Chancellor Retired Professor
Prof. Ramesh B. Shah Prof. Hirubhai Bhatt Dr. Pushpa Motiyani
Retired Professor Retired Principal Head, Gandhi Peace Research Centre
Advocate Mahendra Anand Dr. Swati Joshi Dr. J.S. Bandukwala
Retired Professor Activist
Dr. Alaknanda Patel Rajni Dave Siddharth N. Bhatt
Retired Professor, M.S.University Sarvodaya activist Retired Professor
Indukumar Jani Dr. Bharat Mehta Dr. Kanu Khadadiya
Editor, Naya Marg Reader, M. S. University Associate Professor
Amit Dave Bipin Shroff Dr. Damini Shah
Gujarati Lekhak Mandal Editor, Vaishwik Manavvaad Lecturer
Loknad Dr. Raghu Rangarajan Father Francis Parmar
Scientist Retired Principal
Dr. Saroop Dhruv Dr. Ganesh Devy Dhiru Mistry
Well Known poetess Retired Professor and activist Activist
Dr. Rita Kothari Dr. Hanif Lakdawala Hiren Gandhi
Professor Activist Activist
Kiran Trivedi Sagar Rabari Persis Ginwala
Activist Activist Activist
Ashok Shrimali Mahesh Pandya Urvish Kothari
Activist Activist Columnist
Bhargav Trivedi Nandu Deshpande Ramya Rangrajan
Journalist Union Activist Activist
Sandesh Gonsalves Shabnam Hashmi Justice V. H. Bhardwaj
Director, PRASHANT Anhad
Jagdish Patel Ratilal Desai Meenakshi Joshi
Activist Activist Women activist
Johannes Manjrekar Chinu Srinivasan Ashok Gupta
Professor Activist Activist
Deeptha Achar Nikitan Contractor Santosh Das
Professor Activist Professor
Rajkumar Hans Iftikhar Ahmed Illiyas Mansuri
Professor Professor Activist
Babubhai Desai Tapan Dasgupta Sanjay Bhave
Retired Principal Activist Associate Professor
Jayanti Panchal N. R. Malik Ikram Mirza
Activist Concerned Citizen Activist
Jatin Sheth Lalubha Chauhan Rasik R. Shah
Activist Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Rajesh Shah Nitaben Vidrohi Sahil Parmar
Activist Gujarat Lok Samiti Activist
Jayanti Barot Tanushree Gangopadhyay S.G. Mehta
Activist Journalist Concerned Citizen
Kalpesh Solanki Rakesh Maheriya Sukhdev Patel
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Activist
Buddhidhan Trivedi Chittaranjan Vora Dhanraj Pandit
Concerned Citizen Educationist Retired Principal
Prahladray Avasthi Prof. I.H. Parikh Jwalant Mehta
Concerned Citizen Activist
Dr. L.S. Kareliya Advocate Suresh Zumkhawala Mahadev Vidrohi
Activist Activist
Kamla Gurjar Vipul Pandya B. M. Desai
Activist Activist Concerned Citizen
Chimanbhai Khamar Mayur H. Shah Jayesh Patel
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Youth activist
Tejas Vaidhya Nalla Daru Valjibhai Patel
Journalist Activist Activist
Nibha M. Anand Manilal M. Patel Chandu Maheriya
Activist Columnist Activist
Binit Modi Manda Patel Mehul Trivedi
Activist Activist Activist
Shailesh A. Sonara Parul Trivedi K. L. Virani
Dalit Activist Communicator Concerned Citizen
Raman Vaghela P.V. Chauhan Ramaben Vora
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Activist
Pradip K. Shah Mohan Chaudhari Siddharaj Solanki
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Advocate V.A. Isani Dev Desai Prof. A.A. Shaikh
Activist
Dinesh A. Shah Avani Vora Dashrath Devda
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Activist
Rajesh Thakkar Abdulbhai Vakani Dilip R. Joshi
Concerned Citizen Activist Concerned Citizen
Devvrat N. Trivedi Kanaiyalal Nayak Prakash Chaudhri
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Activist
Gopal K. Nayak Devesh Mehta Ashish Mehta
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Shankarlal Gandhi N.A. Purani C. P. Patel
Concerned Citizen Retired Professor Concerned Citizen
Kishor Thaker Suresh Chauhan Amrutbhai Patel
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Rajni Acharya Becharbhai Patel Dalubhai Bharwad
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Jitendra Shah Gopal Bhatt Rajendra Parmar
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
V.D. Brahmabhatt Umesh Shah Timir V. Amin
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Jitendra Shah S.N. Dulera Pravin Pandya
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Writer
Nirad Vidrohi Jayanti Naik Vasant Brahmabhatt
Activist Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
- D. Gandhi Nitinkumar Barad Nirmitsingh
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Rameshbhai Borisa Nikunj Patel Jashubhai Chaudhari
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen
Zubin Dinyar Jigar Bhatt Rimmi Vaghela
Concerned Citizen Activist Student Leader
Inderjeet Grover Renu Rajput Honey Parmar
Youth Activist Women Activist Concerned Citizen
Rammurat Maurya Dimpa Vaghela Mayur Thakre
Union Activist Student Activist Concerned Citizen
Bhavik Raja Dilip Satashiya Pratima Sagar
Student Leader Youth activist Women Activist
Suryaben Shah Reeta Gohil Mahendra Rathod
Concerned Citizen Concerned Citizen Student Activist
Sachin Shah Niraj Maurya
Student Activist Student Activist
Memorandom sent by Dwarikanath Rath (Mo. 94263 69858), dn.rath@gmail.com
Copy to : (1) National Commission For Scheduled Caste (2) District Collector, Gir-Somnath (3) S. P., Gir-Somnath
It is essential that so much atrocities on Dalit’s in Gujarat which is known for moderation in everything of public interest and following good Samaritanism must be thoroughly probed and quick remedial measures taken.Especially Vigilante in any form and for any reason must be curbed with heavy hand and exemplary punishments.
Moreover all over country the recent affront of Hindu majoritarianism to brow beat every body must be arrested soon.
Inhuman treatment. The police must take stringent action against the culprits. What a shame that such atrocities still persist in our country. There should be a pan India movement against caste violence. All the spiritual gurus should also speak up against it. But they perhaps won’t for the fear of losing their clientele.
Glad to observe so many Gujarat citizens coming out in protest of harassment and atrocities on dalits. The dalits and Muslims in Gujarat have been facing suffering for long and nothing much has been reported all these years. Gujarat has been projected as a ‘ model’ welfare state and there were hues and cries from media to adopt the ‘ model’ . Now, the myth is being busted. Extending the demand on present incidents, the citizens should also demand enquiry into farmers suicides in previous years, the atrocities committed in the years when the present PM was the CM of Gujarat and the corruption scandals. Protest rallies and mass movements should be conducted in Gujarat as well as Delhi and other parts of the country pressing for punishment to police and army and RSS /VHP/ bajarang dal goons indulging in attacks on the lower castes and minorities.