61 arrested for attack on Dalits

RAJKOT/GANDHINAGAR, Nov 29: Even as Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela today announced financial assistance and ot...

RAJKOT/GANDHINAGAR, Nov 29: Even as Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela today announced financial assistance and other sops for Dalit victims of the attack at Pankhan village in Junagadh district, Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya said about 61 of the 87 accused in the incident were arrested. Vaghela told Express Newsline that besides Rs 10,000 for those who received grievous injuries and Rs 5,000 for those who received minor injuries from the Chief Minister8217;s Relief Fund, an additional assistance of Rs 30,000 and Rs 15,000 would also be extended by his department for the injured.

The Minister said the Government would provide compensation of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh to employed and unemployed Dalit victims if there was permanent disability due to injuries sustained in the attack. Besides, each of the aggrieved Dalit families will be provided a residential plot and one acre of agricultural land, Pandya said.

Condemning the Pankhan incident, Vaghela said the process of removing the village sarpanch and his deputy from their posts for their alleged involvement in the attack had been intiated. The licence of a fair-price shopkeeper who had allegedly provided kerosene to those who damaged the Dalits8217; property would also be cancelled. Haren Pandya said offences under various sections of the IPC, Atrocity Act and Bombay Police Act were registered against the 61 arrested. Two SRP platoons have been deployed in Pankhan to assist local police in maintaining law and order there, while the Special IGP, SC/ST Cell has reached the village.

The Minister said the Veraval sub-divisional magistrate, who is inquiring into the circumstances that led to the incident, was asked to submit his report to the Government within 10 days. Responding to a query, Pandya said not a single Dalit had migrated from Pankhan in the wake of the attack and the situation there was completely under control. Meanwhile, at a representation before Junagadh district collector today, some villagers of Pankhan said the attack on Harijans by Darbars was not the result of a sudden flare-up, but the causes were deep-rooted.

The villagers led by Punja Karsan Harijan said illegal encroachments had triggered off similar attacks in the past too. They demanded a permanent solution to the problem and greater protection from such attacks. The 4,000-odd population of the village mainly comprises Darbars, Rabaris, Harijans and people from other backward classes. Since most Harijans never had any land holdings, they began to occupy Government land for building houses and other purposes. Grasslands available for grazing cattle were also occupied by Harijans. Though they had been warned by everyone including the village panchayat against occupying government land, they never paid any heed.

Gradually members of other communities also began to encroach upon whatever Government land was lying vacant.