Patan on the boil as Dalits seek justice

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday took out a rally in Patan after a Dalit man attempted self-immolation in front of the district collector's over an alleged land dispute with the government that started in 2013. Mevani, who travelled across the town, had called for a bandh on Friday. A heavy police security was deployed at the collector's office after a mob, shouting slogans against the government official, arrived at the spot on Friday.

The shops which saw little business in the morning had to pull down the shutters as Mevani's rally came out on the street. The Rupani-led government should be ashamed of itself after a man had to set himself on fire to get his woes heard, Mevani said.

"Bhanubhai Vankar was not fighting for his own land.He was fighting to get the land for two families. They approached the administration several times but did not get any responses," alleged Mevani.

He said they would continue to press for their demand for land for all landless Dalits and if it wasn't met they would continue with the agitation. Heavy police bandobast was put in place for Mevani's rally. Mevani and others also demanded suspension of police inspector Jayvirsinh Parmar, apart from placing before the administration a list of demands.

Mevani later also met Patan Collector Anand Patel and had heated discussion. He asked the collector to submit in writing how soon the land problem of the two families could be resolved. "A man burnt himself to get justice for two families and you still can't even guarantee that they will get land," said Mevani.

When the collector said that the matter of allotting land was no more in his hands but with the revenue department Mevani asked if he could ensure that landless Dalits would be given land as that was within his purview. Later, Patan MLA Kirit Patel and Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi also joined in the meeting seeking strict action against officials of the revenue department on whose account the matter was stuck for so long.

Locals alleged that the two families of Dhudhka village were the only one who was to get their land regularised while those from other caste had already got it done.

Three who threatened self-immolation went into hiding. The administration and police, immediately after they received a letter from the three (Hema Vankar, Rama Chamaar and Bhanu Vankar) threatening self-immolation, said they were looking for them.

"They were not present at the address mentioned in the letter. Their phones were switched off. Not just the cops, even the mamlatdar was sent to their village to look for the trio. However, no one was ava

ON THE DAY OF SELF-IMMOLATION

• Cops said they were prepared for any eventuality when Bhanu Vankar set himself on fire outside the district collectorate’s office. “We had the cops, the ambulance, a fire brigade ready in case of any eventuality. When Hemaben and the others came, the cops immediately overpowered them so as to prevent any untoward incident,” said a cop who was present at the event. “But the overpowering distracted the cops as everyone was trying to control the two people. The victim Bhanubhai, however, escaped attention and he immolated himself, perhaps near the zilla panchayat office, close to the district collector office and ran towards the collectorate office in flames,” said an official.

COULD THE INCIDENT BE AVOIDED?

• Dalit activists and even Mevani have alleged that the whole incident could have been avoided had the collector agreed to meet the three. It is alleged that the incident was triggered after the police inspector Jayvirsinh Parmar prevented Hema and Ramabhai from meeting the collector. The administration, however, has a different version. “One Ratibhai, a relative of Ramabhai wanted to meet the collector. The cops prevented him and asked him to wait for the original applicants to come to the collectorate. But even before the original applicants (Hema, Rama and Bhanubhai) could talk about meeting the collector, this incident happened,” said an official in the collectorate.

MEVANI’S DEMANDS

• Immediate allocation of land to the two Dalit families
   
• Govt to foot the bill for Bhanu Vankar’s treatment
   
• Action against Patan police
   
• Land for the poor in Patan