Udupi: Social activist and lawyer Jignesh Mevani, who has been fighting for the cause of the Dalits, Tribals and downtrodden communities, has demanded that the Karnataka government should publish a white paper on the total land distributed to Dalits, Adivasis and Backward Classes in the state and the land given to corporate houses.
While speaking at the ‘Udupi Chalo’, programme held here on Sunday, he also demanded a ban on all cow vigilante organisations. He expressed concern over rise in attacks on Dalits and minorities by the Sangh Parivar after Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre.
“After Modi became the Prime Minister, Gau Rakshaks feel that they can attack Dalits and minorities whenever they like. There have been many attacks. We need to tell the governments to ban all such gau rakshak samithis,” he demanded. “Modi calls for ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’, but in reality they are following ‘Daliton ka vinash, Daliton ka sarvanash’, he remarked.
He also expressed unhappiness over the failure of the governments in implementing land reforms. He said they were giving more importance to distribute land to corporate houses, but not to Dalits and Adivasis. He said, “If Adani, Ambani and Essar can be allowed land, why not Dalits and Adivasis?”
“In Karnataka there is an act which states that 50 per cent of revenue land in a village has to be distributed to Dalits and Adivasis. Later it was increased to 75 per cent. But it is not being followed,” he said and demanded the Karnataka government to release a white paper about the total land provided to Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes and details about the total land provided to the corporate houses in the state.
Jignesh also expressed unhappiness over the ‘Pankti Bedha,’ (the discriminatory practice of providing separate seating arrangements for Brahmins) followed in Udupi Mutts. He vowed to fight against the practice. He also wanted the state government to look into the ‘Bagar Hukum’ issue and solve the problem.
“In 1,590 villages there are 96 types of untouchability in Gujarat. Though Modi claims to be a ‘bhakt’ of Dr B.R. Ambedkar he did not meet even one victim of the 14,000 atrocity cases filed in Gujarat between 2002 and 2014. Cases of rape against Dalit women increased from 24 in 2004 to 74 in 2014. Neither Modi nor any BJP MP met any of these victims. There are 55 villages where there is social boycott on Dalits. This is Gujarat Model,” Jignesh Mevani said
