Guna Incident: Why Do We Need Land Rights for Dalit Empowerment?

What commentary does the Guna incident give on the lack of social security for landless underprivileged communities?

In some disturbing visuals, Ramkumar Ahirwar and Savitri Devi, a Dalit couple from Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, were seen getting beaten by the district police.

(Photo: The Quint)

Assaulted by the police for allegedly farming on government land, then illegally charged with attempt to suicide after consuming pesticide in anguish and a debt of Rs 3 lakhs — this incident around a Dalit couple from Madhya Pradesh is like the story of many others.

In some disturbing visuals, Ramkumar Ahirwar and Savitri Devi a Dalit couple from Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, were seen getting gheraoed by the district police. They are seen getting kicked, getting lathi-charged from all sides, getting dragged on the ground. And all this in a bid to evict them from a piece of “government-owned land”.

This has been the case with many other evictions from cities and towns where Dalits or landless labourers and farmers were caught between the insensitivity displayed by government authorities and their own lack of privilege.

What kind of a commentary does it present on the lack of social security for the landless underprivileged classes and castes? And why do we need to talk about land and property inclusivity along with rights empowerment? Tune in to The Big Story!