The Dalit victims who were beaten up by cow vigilantes near Una town of Gir Somnath district on July 11 this month were brought to Ahmedabad from village Mota Samadhiyala and admitted to Civil Hospital after their condiiton deteriorated. The victims including — Ramesh Sarvaiya, Ashok Sarvaiya, Vashram Sarvaiya and Bechar Sarvaiya had been admitted in Rajkot civil hospital after they were brutally beaten up with iron rods and steel pipes. They were discharged on last Tuesday and subsequently went to their village Mota Samadhiyala.
On Wednesday their health deteriorated and two of them allegedly became serious. The State Government machinery acted promptly and made arrangement to bring them to Ahmedabad for further treatment. Sources said that besides physical problem due to injuries, they were suffering from psychological trauma.
As the news of four Dalit youth admitted in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital spread like wildfire, political leaders of all types started making bee-line to gain political advantage. In order to provide adequate rest to them, the State administration arrange tight security arrangement near the trauma centre. However, some of the leaders were allowed to meet the victims including leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly and Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela. Besides, an AAP delegation headed by its State convener Kanu Kalasaria too met the victims on Thursday.
Meanwhile, 44-year-old Amrutlal Makwana winner of Dalit Sahitya Kruti Award jumped into the controversial issue of atrocities on Dalits near Una and decided to return his award to the State Government. After returning the award Makwana said that attacks on oppressed has become common in Gujarat.
He returned the award and framed citation to Ahmedabad district collector along with a brief letter (addressing Gujarat CM) saying that he was returning the award out of grief and pain meted out to Dalit youngsters of Mota Samadhiaya village near Una.
It is worth mentioning that seven members of a Dalit family were allegedly beaten up by a group of Gau Rakshak (Cow protectors) for skinning a dead cow near Una town of Gir Somnath district on July 11 this month. The incident came to light after a video showing the members of Dalit family brutally beaten up by cow vigilantes became viral on social media.