Una Victims Turn to Buddhism After Broken Promises of Compensation

On 11 July 2016, a group of ‘cow vigilantes’ flogged four Dalit brothers in Gujarat’s Una, accusing them of cow slaughter. The men, who were leather tanners from the town, were only skinning dead cows, as per their profession.

The incident triggered massive statewide protests against cow vigilantes, putting the town on the national map.

A year and a half after the incident, the four brothers have announced that a dozen-odd members of their family have decided to embrace Buddhism, reported Times of India.

According to the report, the family will convert on 14 April, the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.

The horror and shame inflicted upon us for doing our ancestral work of skinning dead cattle made us contemplate giving up Hinduism and finally, a year and a half later, our family is convinced that we are better off embracing Buddhism which does not discriminate on the basis of caste.

Vashram Sarvaiya to Times of India

Vashram further added that the promises made by the then-chief minister Anandiben Patel of providing them with with jobs and land, had not been fulfilled.

“While we have shunned skinning animals, there is no alternative means for the 12-member family,” said Vashram in the report.

Gujarat's Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ishwar Parmar reportedly said that while he was not aware of the conversion to Buddhism by the Una victims, he will raise the compensation issue in the cabinet meeting.

(With inputs from Times of India)