Following the attack on Dalit community by cow vigilantes in Una village in Gir Somnath district, Dalits have been demanding land to be able to live with dignity. In Una, of the 57 Dalit families, only three have got a plot of land. Most Dalits here are daily agricultural wage labourers and a few skin carcasses of dead animals. Successive governments have ignored the issue of land distribution to Dalits. On July 9, 2016, a resident of the village was brutally beaten up and hacked to death by a mob while working on his field because he allegedly 'disrespected' cows and sowed seeds on land that was not his. On July 11, five dalit men, who were called to pick up a dead cow, were attacked by a mob while skinning the animal in their village. Four of them were taken to Una town, stripped and paraded naked in full public view. The scene was videotaped by the mob and was posted online. When it went viral, the authorities, who did not pay heed when they were called by the villagers to help, sprung to action. Since the attack, Gujarat has seen largescale protests, with Dalit groups attempting suicide to protest the discrimination. Understanding the centrality of landlessness as a basic cause of their vulnerability and deprivation in every sector of development, Dalits in the state have been demanding land ownership for redeeming their dignity. In nearby Junagadh district, three Dalit men who had been demanding land titles consumed poison and one of them died. A governor's committee, set up by India's only Dalit President K.R. Narayanan, reported that there is enough government land for distribution to every landless rural family that belongs to Scheduled Caste. According to the district collector, at least two acres can be allocated to each family, but none has got physical possession yet. In January 2017, Jignesh Mevani, convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, said, There are 500 dalits across Gujarat who have been allotted land by the government but it is only on paper. The organisation has been demanding that each Dalit family be allotted at least five acres of land. To this end, Dalits have resorted to blocking traffic at several places in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and other cities. After the stripping incident, the state's former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel visited the village and announced that the government would give funds to Dalits and other poor families in Una for the construction and repair of their houses and toilets, along with five acres of land. When this promise was followed up during a Legislative Assembly session in March 2018, state Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ishwar Parmar said there was no question of implementing the promises as there was no official record of any such commitment. In January 2020, one of the victims wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind to draw attention to their poor living condition. In November 2020, Jayesh Solanki, the face of the Una Dalit protest, died by suicide. The court hearing for the stripping case is ongoing, with the Dalits spending thousands of rupees on travel and food to attend the hearings.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Demand for promised land
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for each Dalit household in Una to be allotted five acres of land.
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Reform Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Non-implementation of land reform laws
Delay in allottment and possession of land/property
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Physical attack
Killing
Other harassment
Self-immolation/suicide
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
On July 9, 2016, a resident of the village was brutally beaten up and hacked to death by a mob while working on his field because he allegedly 'disrespected' cows and sowed seeds in land that was not his. On July 11, five dalit men, who were called to pick up a dead cow, were attacked by a mob while skinning the animal in their village. Four of them were taken to Una town, stripped and paraded in full public view. In nearby Junagadh district, three Dalit men who had been demanding land titles consumed poison and one of them died. In November 2020, Jayesh Solanki, the face of the Una Dalit protest, died by suicide.
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Una village
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Government of Gujarat
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Aditi is a freelance development researcher. She has a Master’s in Development Studies from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. She has previously worked with WWF India on forest-based livelihoods and international wildlife trade. She has also worked on the Forest Rights Act in Dangs district in Gujarat. Her paper, “Forest-based livelihoods, Malki practice and Forest Rights Act in Gujarat: The case of Adivasis in the Dangs,” has been published in the book, Adivasis in India: Livelihoods, Resources and Institutions, by Bloomsbury India.
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