Dalit youths attempted suicide at two places in Rajkot district of Gujarat today to protest the brutal assault on fellow community members for allegedly killing a cow at Una last week
Rajkot: Dalit youths attempted suicide at two places in Rajkot district of Gujarat today to protest the brutal assault on fellow community members for allegedly killing a cow at Una last week.
At Gondal, five Dalit youth -- Rajesh Parmar, Ramesh Pardhi, Jagdish Rathod, Bharat Solanki and Anil Maghad -- tried to end their lives by drinking poison near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue in market area of the town. At Jamkandorna in the district, Kishor Solanki (30) and Amrit Parmar (25), tried to commit suicide.
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All seven are now being treated at a hospital in Gondal. Inspector Vijay Chaudhary said the five youths who tried to commit suicide in Gondal had threatened to take such a step and police had deployed adequate security to prevent it, but they still managed to consume a poisonous substance.
"They were protesting the brutal assault on fellow Dalit youths in Una town of Gir Somnath district," he said. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gir Somnath, K M Joshi said nine persons have been arrested in the Una assault case. Inspector N U Zala and three constables have been suspended.
The incident at Una, where Dalit youths were paraded and flogged for allegedly killing a cow, caused nation-wide outrage after its video went viral. The victims' contention was that they were skinning a dead cow and had not killed it. In Surendranagar, some 300 Dalits today carried a dead cow and held protest outside the office of the Collector. They gave a memorandum to the collector demanding action against the culprits in the Una case.
Protests were held in other parts of Gujarat too. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel assured through Twitter that her government was committed to protect Dalits. "We will continue to extend all support to victims. Gujarat government is fully committed to protection and development of weaker sections of society," she tweeted.
A minister and a parliamentary secretary had visited the spot and Rs one lakh compensation had been sanctioned to the victims. Besides, a police inspector and three constables were suspended, Patel said. A member of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Raju Parmar, who visited the victims' families, had expressed displeasure about handling of the case by the police.
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