More than 300 dalits from Una in Gujarat, including the sons of Balubhai Sarvaiya who were victims of the infamous flogging incident in July 2016, embraced Buddhism near their village in Saurashtra region on Sunday. Buddhist monks were present on the occasion.
Three sons of Sarvaiya, and their cousin, were flogged and paraded naked for over 15 kms by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow.
The incident had caused nationwide outrage then. Political leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, had visited Mota Samadhiyala, their village, to meet the victims. Despite assurance by the state government that stern action would be taken against the perpetrators, the accused are now out on bail.
The Sarvaiyas said their decision to embrace Buddhism was a mark of protest against a society that is indifferent to their plight, and the state government that failed them. They said the state government is yet to to give them the jobs and land which they were offered when former chief minister Anandiben Patel visited them after the incident.
Balubhai's nephew, Jitu, told THE WEEK that there has been an increase in the number of attacks on dalits. There have been reports from Gujarat where dalits were asked not to keep a mustache or ride a horse.
Recently, a a dali, who was in-charge of the mid-day meal scheme near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home town Vadnagar, had committed suicide, alleging harassment by teachers.
Asked if the attitude of the society would change if they embraced Buddhism, Jitu said that they have just embraced Buddhism, and so would not know about it.
The Sarvaiyas said they were following the footsteps of B.R. Ambedkar.