The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the attack on dalit men which took place in Una of Gir Somnath district in Gujarat. Seven dalit men were assaulted with iron roads for skinning a dead cow, as a result of which they sustained serious injuries. Four of them were paraded in the town.
This brutal attack has led to widespread protests by dalits all over the state which has been met with police repression.
The attack in Una has once again highlighted the vicious role played by so-called gau raksha committees which are nothing but rabid communal outfits that target the Muslims and dalits who are engaged in cattle trading and the skinning of dead cattle.
The Gujarat government should, apart from taking strong action against the culprits in the Una incident, ban the activities of the cow protection committees. The administration should immediately instruct the police to stop using repressive measures against those protesting against this atrocity on dalits.