Various Dalit organisations in parts of Gujarat have demanded identity cards for those traditionally engaged in tannery work from the State Government in order to avoid atrocities on them by self-styled cow vigilantes.
Moreover, these organisations have announced that members of Dalit communities engaged in tannery work would stay away from removing animal carcasses till they would be provided adequate security from cow protection vigilantes. The demand has come up following the incidence of Dalit youths beaten up by cow vigilantes at Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district on July 11 this month for skinning a dead cow. According to Dalit organisations despite the fact the youths had not killed the cow and only skinning the dead animal, they were brutally beaten up.
“Members of Dalit communities are joining the movement and staying away from the work of deposing dead animals. Especially in Surendranagar districts most of the families have decided not to remove dead animals from streets,” said Natu Parmar, who is associated with Navsarjan Trust.
Parmar further said that identity cards would help the people belonging to skinning communities to establish that they are not cow slaughters but they engage in skinning work of dead animals. Apart from Navsarjan trus and Dalit Manav Adhikar Munch, many other Dalit organisations have become active and joined the movement.
Sources in Surendranagar district administration confirmed the development saying that more than 80 carcasses of animals were removed with the help of staff employed in local bodies. Already the State Government machinery became alert and the issue of identity cards to tanners and its repercussions were discussed at a high level meeting, said an official.
Kirit Rathod of Dalit Adhikar Munch claimed that more than 500 carcasses of dead animals were lying unattended in different parts of Gujarat as the people involved in removing dead animals refused to do their jobs.