Of these one has died.
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The Dalit community members continued their protest across the state against the brutal assault on some community members on July 11 for allegedly skinning a cow at Una in Gir-Somnath district. The young boys, brutally beaten for skinning a dead cow, are in hospital with serious injuries.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi asserted in her party’s parliamentary party meet that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has snatched away the rights of adivasis, Dalits and traditional forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act 2006 and was systematically weakening and subverting environmental rights.
“Atrocities against Dalits are a social evil”, he said. The video, which shows them questioning the victims on where they got the cow from and stripping and thrashing them and then tying them to their vehicle, was taken by a member of the group and released “as a warning to others”. 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.
Besides aid, she said, the Gujarat government will provide financial help to these families for the construction of houses and toilets.
“I have been trying to speak in Rajya Sabha over the issue for three days but they (Opposition) are unwilling to listen”.
One senior officer was killed and several others were wounded in the clash.
Referring to large-scale protests by dalits following the incident and an “emergency-like” situation in parts of the BJP-ruled state, Mr Suresh alleged that many dalits have tried to commit suicide as they have no faith in the state government. A head constable was killed. She writes, “For years now, we have been fed with stories, lies and half-truths about the Gujarat Model. Independent probe is need of the hour”. But as Chief Minister Anandiben Patel tries to decrepitly check Dalit protests now spreading across Gujarat, it’s clear that the way BJP has been stoking cow vigilantism is not only irresponsible and risky for the rest of the country but also singes its own future. We will continue to extend all support to the victims. The young people in particular are restless, and not willing to accept the humiliation and the isolation silently, the sources said.
When the house reassembled, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said that Gujarat government has taken action against the culprits.
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Gujarat, under strong arm rule, appears to now be bursting at the seams.
