Jignesh Mevani calls for Patan Bandh, Dalit bodies want CM to resign

Jignesh Mevani and other Dalit organisations have called for a Patan bandh on Thursday after a Dalit activist Bhanubhai Vankar set himself on fire outside the collectorate. Vankar set himself on fire after failing to secure land for two Dalit families who had been doing the rounds of the revenue department to get land ownership transferred in their name.

The Vadgam MLA has also called for the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. "All Dalits of Gujarat should come out on the road to ensure that this incident registers as much protest from the community as the Una incident did," said Mevani. He said the Rupai and his government should be ashamed of themselves if a poor man has to set himself ablaze to gain the attention of the government about the injustice meted out to them.

He has also called for the suspension of Patan collector and the top cop of the district who despite a warning by the three Dalits of self immolation did nothing. Kirit Rathod of Navsarjan said that they too have extended support to the bandh call given by Dalits.

Rathod said Vankar was a known Ambedkarite and he had converted to Buddhism 30 years ago as a mark of protest. "He had been helping the family of one Hema Vankar and Rama Chamar, both residents of Dhudhka village in Sami Taluka of Patan district to get ownership of land that they had been tilling for ages. The two families had even paid the requisite money for the land due to them under the Land Ceiling act. But the matter was stuck with the revenue department and they had been making the family sdo the rounds of the bureaucracy since ages," said Rathod.

He also said that it seemed strange that when prior intimation of their intention to self-immolate was given the police and collector on February 7, 2018, the administration merely acted as mute spectators.