Una Dalit atrocity victim's health deteriorates after 55 days of protest

The health of Kunwarben Sarvaiya, one of the seven victims of the Una Dalit atrocity of 2016, deteriorated on Wednesday as the family’s protest outside the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Una, Gir-Somnath, continued for the 55th day.

Kunwarben was sitting at the protest with family members of other victims of atrocity in the heat on Wednesday when she suddenly fainted.

An ambulance was called and she was taken to the district hospital in Una city.

Speaking on her condition, Vasram Sarvaiya, Kunwarben’s eldest son and one of the four youth who were thrashed in the brutal incident three years ago, said, “She is a little better now though the heat and continuous protest are taking a toll on her. But she refuses to give up and wants to join us again once she recovers.”

This is the second incident of failing health of the protestors who have been at the spot outside the SDM’s office since March 11, demanding rehabilitation of Dalit families displaced by violence, land allocation for the victims, compensation under the Atrocities Act and employment promised to victims and their families along with subsidies in building homes.

On March 17, another protestor had fallen ill and had to be admitted to the district hospital. The health of Nathubhai Sarvaiya, 65, Balubhai Sarvaiya’s cousin, had deteriorated as they waited for some official to meet them and receive their charter of demands.

Una Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mahendra Prajapati had earlier told Mirror, “I have met them many times in two years, but not this time because there is no point in doing so. First of all, all of their demands are not valid, and secondly, those that are valid have been acted upon by the government and relief has been provided to them.”

Asked about meeting them once again, Prajapati had said, “The people protesting outside are doing so in violation of a collector’s notification that prohibits anybody from sitting within 200 metres of the Prant office. However, we are not taking action against them because they are protesting peacefully. They can come and meet me anytime, but they have not done so.”

In 2016, so-called Gau Rakshaks had tied four Dalit youths to a car, half-naked, and dragged them through Una town thrashing them all the while. Balubhai Sarvaiya and his wife Kunwarben had also been thrashed by the accused.