Attack on Dalit family: NCSC meets victims; action plan sought

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) today sought a report from the Banaskantha Collector on providing alternative employment opportunity to Dalits, who were attacked a few days back for refusing to dispose of cow carcasses, in Karja village of Amirgadh taluka.

The commission asked the Collector to see if the district administration can provide land to the affected Dalit families, who have pledged not to clear cattle carcasses any more, so they can generate livelihood for themselves.

NCSC member Raju Parmar today visited the affected the family of Nilesh Ranwasia, whose wife Sangeeta, nearly four-months pregnant, was among the seven persons from the village, who were attacked for refusing to clear the carcasses.
 

Sangeeta and two others are still in Palanpur civil hospital, where they were admitted after the attack on Saturday. Parmar met them in the hospital.

Talking to PTI, Parmar said, "We visited the village to see the condition of Dalits there and later met the Collector, the Superintendent of Police and other officials. I have asked the Collector to see if the administration can allot a piece of land to Dalits from the village, who have pledged not to dispose of carcasses any more now, and also find alternative ways to dispose carcasses."

"I have asked the Collector to submit to us a plan of action within 15 days," he said, adding that the state government will have to look for alternative ways to dispose cattle carcasses after Dalits decided not to carry out this traditional task any more in the aftermath of Una incident.

Parmar said he is satisfied with prompt police action in the Karja incident, and added that the pregnant woman and two others were being looked after well in the hospital.

The district administration has also released Rs 50,000 each to seven affected members, and the remaining Rs 2 lakh each of state compensation will be released once the charge sheet is filed, he said.

Six persons have been arrested and booked under relevant IPC sections and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in this case. According to the FIR lodged by Nilesh Ranwasia, a group of around 10 people from Darbar community attacked his family, including his pregnant wife Sangeeta, after the family refused to clear the carcass.