Chanting  “Jai Bhim” and seeking independence from atrocities and discrimination, thousands of Dalits gathered in Una (Gujarat) to celebrate India’s 70th Independence Day on Monday.

A 10-day Dalit Pride Yatra started from Ahmedabad on August 4 culminated in Una where seven Dalits were publicly flogged for skinning a dead cow by a local ‘cow vigilante’ group on July 21.

Thousands of Dalits and social activists holding posters and garlanded photos of Baba Saheb Ambedkar joined the yatra. JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was also present at the rally.

Radhika Vemula, mother of late Rohith who committed suicide at Hyderabad university hostel in January this year,  unfurled the flag at a school ground in coastal town in Gir Somnath district.

Thousands of Dalits and social activists garlanded photos of Baba Saheb Ambedkar joined the yatra to mark a new era in Dalit movement. This is seen as a a counter to ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow protectors) who often thrash or flog Dalits and Muslims, accusing them of cow smuggling and slaughtering in Gujarat and many other states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Muslims in Una and from other parts of the state also marched into the flag ceremony declaring their solidarity with Dalits. A local news report says it is  an attempt to create a new political force consisting of Dalits and Muslims.

In every village that was along the  400 km long yatra route, hundreds of Dalits braved  the monsoon rain and other odds to welcome yatra participants. They also threatened to give up disposing of dead animals and instead seek lands from the government to pursue other alternative livelihood opportunities.

“It is a new beginning and we never thought that we will see such a day in our life time,” said a 55 year old Valji Chauhan, who came to attend the yatra and independence day celebrations in Una from a village in Bhavnagar district.

“We have to fight for our rights. Enough is enough now. We will speak and raise our voice against injustice and will not tolerate any atrocity or discrimination in any form now,” said another participant Jivabhai Vankar.

The yatra has been organised by social activists under the banner of Dalit Asmita Yatra after a Massive congregation of Daits in Ahmedabad on July 31.

Among the main organisers is 35 year old Jignesh Mevani, who has been giving fiery speeches exhorting his community members to stop skinning dead animals and manual scavenging and demand lands from the state authorities.

Attacks on yatris

According to the organisers they faced abuses, stone pelting and threat from caste Hindus in some villages on their route to Una.

During the last leg of Yatra, the participant faced obstacles and abuse by upper caste communities. At several places, other community members pelted stones on some buses carrying Dalits to Una. The organisers had to change the announced route to reach the destination.

Pratik Sinha, one of the organisers posted on Facebook: “Convenors of Dalit Asmita yatra have been continuously receiving calls that some buses which left for Una have been pelted with stones and Dalits in the village Samther have been surrounded by dominant castes. Samther is the village were many accused of the flogging the seven boys (Una incident) live.”

Four people were injured in the stone pelting and clashes and were admitted in hospital for treatment.

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