Dalit family seeks nod for euthanasia from President, PM for land allotment

In the application dated October 8, sent through sub-divisional magistrate of Una, the 14-member family stated that their repeated petitions to the government for relief had fallen on deaf ears.

A Dalit family of Delvada village in Gir Somnath has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that they be allowed euthanasia as the state government “has failed to rehabilitate” them even after they were declared displaced three years ago.

In the application dated October 8, sent through sub-divisional magistrate of Una, the 14-member family stated that their repeated petitions to the government for relief had fallen on deaf ears, and listed eight demands, including allotment of four residential plots, assistance for constructing homes and toilets, making their agricultural land cultivable, setting up shops for livelihood, admission of their children to good schools, electricity connection and water connection, and additional agricultural land among others.

Piyush Sarvaiya and his family — comprising his parents, three bothers, their wives and children — had fled Ankolali village in Una taluka on September 13, 2012 after a mob of another caste group allegedly set their home on fire. The other caste group had accused the Dalits of facilitating elopement of a girl from the village. The mob had burnt Sarviya’s elder brother, Lalji, alive. Since they fled Ankolali, the Dalit family has been camping at Delvada village of Una taluka. In 2015, the state government declared them “displaced” and allotted two residential plots and 5.33 acre land for cultivation to the family.

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“But since there was no electricity or water in the area where our residential plots were allotted, we had to constructed a shed on the land allotted to us for agriculture. The government has drilled a tubewell and given us electricity connection. But since it is an agricultural connection, power remains erratic and water in the tubewell is salty. On top of all this, the government wasteland allotted to us for agriculture is not suitable for agriculture… Despite repeated pleas to Chief Minister and top officers, nothing is moving on the ground as local officers are not following instructions of their seniors. Therefore, we are left with no option but to end our lives,” 29-year-old Sarvaiya told The Indian Express.

In the letter, the family wrote: “The government allots Rs 2 crore for our social rehabilitation but has failed to meet our requirements… After such a permission (for euthanasia) is granted, it is our wish that the whatever property the government has allotted to us be used in promotion of Prime Minister and (slogan of) Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas.”

Sarvaiya further stated that if he did not receive any reply within a month, he would sit on a fast-unto-death opposite the Delhi residence of Ahmedabad (West) MP Kirit Solanki, from December 7 onward.

Solanki is chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

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