Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani during the rally in Jind on Sunday. (Photo: Sofi Ahsan)
Independent MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani on Sunday addressed a rally organised by Dalit groups in Jind and said it was time for the Dalit movement to move beyond the discourse around atrocities and start talking about the right to basic amenities like healthcare and education.
“We have remained stuck to our slogans against casteism like ‘bhrahmanwad murdabad’ and ‘manuwad murdabad’. Crores of rupees meant for SC and ST community are getting diverted for building roads and flyovers, but that money won’t be spent on Dalits and adivasis. Education and healthcare should be the important issues in our movement, but somehow all our discussions and the talks about us are centered around atrocities,” Mevani said.
The rally was held to support to Dalit groups protesting for the past one month for their demands.
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At the rally, Mevani said: “If we don’t have proper shelters, what will the dignity amount to? We have self-respect, but no land to till. If we have no education and good healthcare, what will we do with our self-respect? The struggle is not just about our self-respect, but existence too. We also want proper healthcare, education, roof over our heads, in addition to getting rid of inflation and corruption,” he said.
Mevani said he would next attend a programme of Dalit groups in Ambala and that he wanted to see local Dalit leaders in the Assembly. “We are just seven per cent in Gujarat, but yet we slapped hard the Sangh Parivar and BJP (in elections). There are 20-22 per cent Dalits in Haryana. You have to take a vow and decide that Khattar ki khattiya khadi kardeni hai (you have to overthrow Khattar),” he said.
Stressing the need to bring other affected and minority groups in the fold of Dalit activism, Mevani said, “This country belongs to poor, adivasis, farmers, labourers, Dalits and OBCs. It does not belong to Ambani and Adani. We have to take the pledge that if we want Dalit Swaraj in Haryana and whole country, that Swaraj will also be for Muslims, farmers, labourers and Adivasis. We will include all those who are victim of the Gujarat model.”
However, the MLA also said the changes in system are not possible “by becoming a legislator like Jignesh Mevani” and asserted the “street fight” has more impact than being inside the system. “Even today the Gujarat government is more afraid of the street fighter Jignesh Mevani, and not the legislator,” he said.