Will dalit killings impact assembly polls in Gujarat?

Gandhinagar’s power corridors on Monday were buzzing with news and debates about the killing of dalit youths. Political leaders at the state secretariat were found closeted mulling hard on the ramifications of the incident, particularly at this very significant juncture, when the assembly elections are round the corner.

The ruling BJP government lost no time to fire-fight any untoward situation arising from the incident and promptly deputed two cabinet-level ministers, Ramanlan Vora and Fakirbhai Chauhan, to control the damage and ensure that the rivals, particularly, the Congress does not reap its political dividends from it.

However, local dalit sentiments in Surendranagar district is on the boil, which threatens to scald the BJP. “It would not be considered as the killing of three dalit youths in police firing, but as atrocity on dalits by police and state government.

While ministers and local BJP leaders somehow managed to quell the tide temporarily and convinced relatives to dispose of the bodies by performing their last rites, the buzz within dalit circles is that not a single FIR has been registered against the police,” said an insider, who is close to the developments.

It is also believed that from Tuesday onwards many other agencies like National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Human Rights Commissions are likely to be approached with the complaint.

“While cops claim they have started investigation, ministers say they have appointed a judicial inquiry by the principal secretary, department of social justice and empowerment, Sanjay Prasad.

When a copy of an FIR was requested, police officers failed to hand us one, even hours after the incident. This gives a feeling of being cheated by the government. We are also planning to file a complaint to NCSC and NHRC,” said a dalit rights worker of the area.

But minister for social justice and empowerment, Fakirbhai Vaghela alleged that the Congress may try to exploit this incident but the state government has taken adequate measures. “It is natural that the dalits feel angry because of this unfortunate incident, but we have agreed to all their demands.

The police officer concerned has been suspended, and a judicial inquiry has been ordered. The kin were convinced to cremate the bodies. Congress would try to play politics on the deaths, but dalits are with us. If they did not have faith in us, they wouldn’t have agreed to take back the bodies,” Vaghela asserted.