Una Flogging Anniversary: Father Vows to Fight Till Death for Justice
On the tenth anniversary of the Una flogging incident, Dalits from across Gujarat gathered at a state-level 'Justice and Solidarity Convention' in Ahmedabad to demand justice. Balu Sarvaiya, whose two sons were among the four Dalit men publicly flogged by alleged cow vigilantes in 2016, declared that the family will continue their legal battle despite the acquittal of 35 out of 40 accused.
Sarvaiya said, 'After ten years of struggle, our case was hushed up at the Veraval sessions court. We are angry, and we want to fight. We have moved the Gujarat High Court; we will go to the Supreme Court if necessary. We will fight for as long as we live. If even the Supreme Court doesn't give us justice, we will agitate against the government.'
Congress working president and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani urged the community to pressure the state government to file an appeal against the verdict. 'We want the remaining 35 people, including the policemen who were in the procession when the victims were being flogged and dragged, to also be put behind bars,' Mevani said.
The incident occurred on July 11, 2016, in Mota Samadhiyala village of Una taluka in Gir Somnath district. The four men—Ramesh Sarvaiya, Vashram Sarvaiya, Ashok, and Bechar—were allegedly stripped to the waist, tied to a car, and flogged by a mob that accused them of killing a cow. Balu Sarvaiya was also beaten when he tried to intervene. Investigations later revealed that a lion had killed the cow, and the men were merely skinning the carcass at the owner's request.
In the trial, a Veraval court on March 16 convicted only five of the 40 accused, sentencing them to five years' imprisonment. However, they were released as their sentence was deemed concurrent with time already served. The remaining 35, including three policemen, were acquitted. The court also ordered the victims to be given a copy of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography as compensation.
Mevani also reminded the government of promises made by then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel to the victims: land, government jobs, and housing plots. He called for the withdrawal of cases against Dalits who protested after the self-immolation of Bhanubhai Vankar in 2018.
Sarvaiya urged the community to stand united, saying, 'Atrocities happen, but the community does not fight back. We also got several offers to settle the case, but we did not give in.' The victims have filed an appeal in the Gujarat High Court, vowing to pursue justice to the highest level.
