Rahul Gandhi leads ‘Peepli’ brigade to Una
MOTA SAMADHIYALA (UNA): It looked like a scene straight out of ‘Peepli Live’, a 2010 satirical film on how politicians and the media learn about a farmer’s alleged intention to commit suicide and descend upon his village in full force. Only that this time the setting was Gujarat’s Una and Dalit skinners the poor victims.
This all began 10 days ago when 52-year-old Balu Sarvaiya’s head was smashed with an iron pipe when he pleaded with self-proclaimed cow protectors not to brutalise his two sons and two others. Sarvaiya, a skinner, received nine stitches on his skull and was discharged from the Junagadh Civil Hospital on Tuesday, only to be hounded by politicians, media persons, policemen and Dalit activists who have laid a virtual siege to his house that can barely accommodate eight people.
On Wednesday evening, Sarvaiya was again rushed to the hospital after he felt sudden pain while speaking to media persons. Earlier in the day, he had to sit straight with a bandaged head while chief minister Anandiben Patel+ spoke to him and spent nearly 90 minutes with the family. There was no respite for Sarvaiya on Thursday either when hordes of Congressmen accompanying party vice-president Rahul Gandhi+ crammed his house even as he described the July 11 ordeal. He had narrated the same sequence of events barely an hour ago to Nationalist Congress Party member Praful Patel.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met victims of Una incident at the civil hospital in Rajkot.
“Why is the police not taking action? It indicates that the government is involved. the state government in Gujarat is anti-Dalit,” Kejriwal said after meeting Dalit victims.Union minister for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale is also likely to visit Una later in the day.
“It is true that he has not been able to take any rest. We are appealing to the visitors not to create chaos and give him some breathing space. But all are coming out of sympathy and we can’t do much,” Sarvaiya’s nephew Jitu told TOI. There was more chaos at Sarvaiya’s house on Thursday when three people fainted, thanks to extreme humidity and power cuts.This correspondent, who stayed overnight in the village, noticed how workers of various parties were constantly keeping a watch on Sarvaiya to ensure he is not ‘hijacked’ by opponents. As politicians start moving towards Sarvaiya’s house, the supporters break into sloganeering, shattering the peace that Sarvaiya badly needs.
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