10 things to know about Jignesh Mevani, the man leading Gujarat’s Dalit agitation

Gujarat: Ever since the video of Dalit youths being flogged for skinning a dead cow went viral, Gujarat has been ringing with protests. Last Sunday, the state saw one of the most massive rallies by Dalits, protesting against atrocities by upper castes by refusing to remove cow carcasses.

This march was led by a 35-year-old activist named Jignesh Mevani, who is slowly becoming a known name of Gujarat’s Dalit movement.

Here’s what you need to know about him:

1. Jignesh Mevani, 35, is a lawyer and social activist.
2. He is the convener of the Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti (Una Dalit Fight against Atrocities Committee) that is organising various Dalit protests in Gujarat.
3. Mevani organised the massive rally on Sunday, in which Dalits pledged to give up removing cow carcasses and cleaning gutters.
4. Mevani led a 20,000-strong rally demanding justice for Dalit youths publicly beaten for skinning a dead cow in Una, Gujarat.
5. In an interview with HuffPost India, Mevani said while he is aware that it isn’t easy keeping the momentum of a revolution going, he is determined to not let it “fizzle out” like Hardik Patil’s Patidar agitation.
6. Mevani said individuals like Hardik Patels are not wanted in the Dalit agitaition. “We want individuals who can keep the struggle going,” he said.
7. Calling the uprising a “socio-cultural movement”, Mevani said, “Dalits need to understand that they can be industrial workers or even landowners. Dalits need to realize that they can be what anyone else can be.”
8. Mevani plans to start a 10-day-long padyatra (march) today with 101 activists from Ahmedabad to Una, to protest against the brutalities on Dalits
9. The rally with be to demand at least five acres of land from the Gujarat government for each Dalit family in the state, and special courts for cases of atrocities against Dalits.
10. He also plans to meet with Dalit families in villages during the march and “urge them to leave menial jobs” and demand the government for lands.

Source: India Today in

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