by Vivek Vijayapalan / DNAThursday, November 19, 2009 - Ahmedabad: - Nathubhai Solanki has been camping outside the district collectorate office for the past few days with his family. His aim is to get justice for his family which was allegedly pushed out of his native village over caste issues. Solanki, a Dalit, has also submitted a memorandum to the district collector, saying that if he does not get justice immediately, he and his family will immolate themselves in front of the office. In the memorandum submitted to the district collector, he has alleged that his house in his village Alav in Ranpur taluka was razed to the ground by Bhaga Bharwad, Vala Vindani and Bhima Bharwad belonging to the upper caste. He has also said in his memorandum that the trio attacked him with swords and sticks in a bid to kill him and his family. Solanki told DNA, "I have been camping outside the collectorate to get justice. I have also been booked under section 151 of the IPC after I submitted the memorandum which stated that if I do not get justice I will immolate myself. However, I have decided that I will continue my struggle to get justice." "I don't want money, I merely want to protect my family," adds Solanki. Sources aware of the development said that the three people against whom Solanki raised allegations had been booked and a charge-sheet had been filed in the case. Solanki points out, "If I succeed in my struggle to get justice, then there will be hope for many more people like me who belong to the lower caste." Manjula Pradeep, Director of Navsarjan who is supporting Solanki, says: "The situation has become hostile in his village because of which he had to leave. Even the police have not been able to provide him with protection in the village. He lost property worth Rs65,000 when his house was razed but the state government has reimbursed him only with Rs10,000. This clearly shows that the state is not fulfilling its responsibility." On the other hand, senior collectorate officials say that the allegations made by Solanki will be probed. A senior official said, "We will verify the matter but it seems that the dispute is personal and not caste-based." The matter has been referred to the office of Ranpur mamaltadar.

As always, we read the final sentence that "The matter has been referred to the office of Ranpur mamaitadar." No action. No justice. But something must be done for the Dalits of India, as well as for the Adivasis. There is a limit to how much they are to be oppressed, marginalized and tortured by inhuman humans. There has to be a limit to the time - the decades and centuries, nay, even millennia, that these sweet people are to be brutalized by higher castes. We need to turn everything upside down. We need to re-write the Indian constitution and delete all mention of caste. We need to base all issues on economics. Let all the poor people receive assistance and jobs. Let all poor people be guaranteed food, clothes, shelter, health care and education. But let there also be an end to mental torture brought on by social discrimination carried out by higher castes. The greatest problem in India seems to be the police, because many laws have been passed by the Supreme Court but local police in the towns and villages never ensure they are carried out. Rather, the police protect those who break those laws They protect the people who perpetuate the caste system, who perpetuate the torture of marginalized peoples. So some kind of moral movement must be started in India to completely reform the police. All police should be sent to schools where they learn morality, compassion, kindness, respect for women, and above all respect for the most neglected, downtrodden human beings - the outcastes of the society. The police above all should be taking care of these people. At present the police serve as the instruments of oppression and torture - utterly needless torture. See what is happening in Lalgarh and entire Medinipur districts of West Bengal, where Maoists are catching the police and beheading them. There is a reason for their rage. It is because the police have passed all limits in their torture of the poor. So perhaps the first movement to start in India is redemption of all police departments across the land. The police in every country are extremely powerful. But that power MUST be accompanied by morality. by basic love and affection for the suffering humanity. So now, who will come forward to start such a movement? Who will rescue the suffering masses from the tortures of police atrocities across this land? Who will start the long task of educating police and turning them into compassionate human beings? - Garda Ghista