Dangerous Vigilantism
Even as the reverberations of the violence inflicted on a group of Dalit men by “cow protection” vigilanties near the small Gujarat town of Una , are felt in Parliament, the protest continue to spread accross the states. Large part of Saurashtra , the region rocked most by agitations led by Dali groups where practically shut down on wednesday after a Bandh call and different mode of protest adopted. It is the protest that appears to have grown organically in response to the violence led by the man bore on 11 july, a video of which has been posted by one of the assailants. They were stripped, flogged, bound and paraded on accusation that they had killed a cow for skinning. The various modes of protest must be seen as a cry for redressal and systematic social change all around. Some have protested by committing suicide. There has been mobilisation on the streets accross Gujarat, with one policeman sccumbing to injuries after stone pelting by protesters. This is a rage that needs a...