Una Incident: Dalit Writer From Gujarat to Return State Award

The writer was conferred the ‘Dasi Jeevan Shreshth Dalit Sahitya Kruti Award’ in 2012-13

Dalit youths were recently assaulted for allegedly skinning a cow in Una, Gujarat. Photo used for representational purpose. (Photo: Reuters)

Slamming the state administration for having no sympathy for the Dalit community, Amrutlal Makwana, a Dalit writer from Gujarat in a mark of protest against the thrashing of Dalit youths in Una, has announced that he plans to return the “Dasi Jeevan Shreshth Dalit Sahitya Kruti “ award conferred on him by the state government.

Makwana added that he would return his award, including Rs 25,000 cash, to District Collector of Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Makwana, a resident of Wadhwan town of Surendranagar district, said:

Such incidents are occurring in Gujarat on a regular basis but the government is not doing enough to ensure that Dalits get justice.

The 44-year-old writer, who has been associated with Congress, was conferred the ‘Dasi Jeevan Shreshth Dalit Sahitya Kruti Award’ in 2012-13 by the Gujarat government for his work ‘Kharapat Nu Dalit Lok Sahitya’. He was also given Rs 25,000 cash along with a certificate and a shawl.

What happened in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir-Somnath district was ghastly and barbaric. Such atrocities on Dalits are condemnable and it shook me to the core... Around 50 persons thrashed some Dalit youths but only 16 were arrested. Why are other people still roaming free? I no longer have faith in this government. 

Amrutlal Makwana

The writer fears that this case will meet the same fate as the Thangadh police firing case, where three Dalit youths were allegedly killed in police firing four years ago.

On 11 July, some Dalit youths from Mota Samadhiyala, who were skinning a dead cow, were flogged by “cow protection” vigilantes who alleged that they had killed the cow. After a video of the incident went viral, it sparked violent protests across Gujarat.