‘Dalit Samman Sangharsh Yatra’ reaches Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: 'Dalit Samman Sangharsh Yatra' a march against incidents of dalits atrocity in Una that began on August 29 from Junagadh reached at Ahmedabad on Friday.
The rally led by local dalit leader and a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Jayanti Makadia comprising hundreds of his community members was welcomed by OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch Convener Alpesh Thakor at Dr B R Ambedkar statur circle in Sarangpur area of the city.
Thakor after garlanding a statue of Ambedkar and the participants of the rally said that the agitation is the reaction of action of some keepers of Hindutva.
“This agitation is not just of dalit community but it belongs to all the deprived communities including Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC). The movement is guided with the thoughts and ideas of Babasaheb so it is the movement of all the community and my organization is with this dalit stir,” Thakor, who is also the convener of Kshatriya Thakor Sena, said.
“The dalits in Una were attacked by alleged cow vigilantes. If they are so concerned with the cause of cow protectionism then they should save Gauchar or grazing land that are sold to the industrialists at throw away prices,” added Thakor.
Makadia, who led the Yatra from Junagadh to Ahmedabad, said that he started the march to give the message that dalits are not meant to do the menial jobs like skinning dead animals, manual scavenging or entering into manhole.
“We also believe that the dalits are not treated equal and they cannot live a dignified life in the Hindu religion. So we will soon hold a mass conversion drive where in thousands of dalits to embrace Buddhism,” Makadia said.
Four youths of Dalit community namely Ramesh, Ashok, Vashram and Bechar Sarvaiya were flogged in Una town for skinning a dead cow. Relatives of Una flogging victims Balu Sarvaiya and Jitu Sarvaiya were also present in the rally at Sarangpur area of the city.
Before the rally reached at Sarangpur, it was welcomed by Muslims in Juhapura area where in some members of the minority community symbolically sipped tea tasted by dalits to express the message of abolish untouchability.