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In July 2016, seven members of a [[Dalit]] family were assaulted by a group of people in pretext of [[Cow protection movement|cow protection]] in [[Una, Gujarat|Una]] in [[Gujarat]], India. The video of the incident was circulated on the social media resulting in statewide protests in following months. Forty-three people including four police officers were arrested and the case is under trial since August 2018.

==Background==

=== Cow vigilantism ===
In September 2015, [[2015 Dadri mob lynching|Mohammed Akhlaq was lynched]] to death in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh by people who suspected that he had beef in his fridge.<ref name=":0"/> In March 2016, Mustain Abbas was killed in Haryana while transporting newly purchased bullocks to use on his fields. His family said that the police was threatening them instead of helping them get justice.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/rights/cow-protection-murder|title=Killed Allegedly By 'Cow Protectors', Justice Eludes the Family of Mustain Abbas|website=The Wire|access-date=2018-09-22}}</ref> Mustain Abbas was allegedly killed by the cow protection group called Gau Raksha Dal in Kurukshetra, Haryana. On 27 March Abbas was the only one out of his friends to not escape the Gau Raksha Dal when confronted after purchasing a cow to plow the fields. Mustain’s family filed police reports but they went unheard, and the case was passed from court to court. On 2 April the family received a call to identify a body that had been found in a ditch. Abbas's wounds consisted of stab wounds, a mutilated face, broken limbs, and he was wearing clothes different to the day of the original capturing. Evidence suggested he had gone through torture, and was given no chance to prove his innocence.<ref name=":3"/>

In the same month, two Muslim cattle traders including a 12-year-old boy were hanged from a tree in Latehar, Jharkhand by a group claiming to be cow protectors. The police had been ignoring several complaints from the Muslim community against local cow vigilante groups.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/communalism/minorities-commission-sees-brazen-communal-bias-in-jharkhand-police-handling-of-latehar-lynching|title=Minorities Commission Sees 'Brazen Communal Bias' in Jharkhand Police Handling of Latehar Lynching|website=The Wire|access-date=2018-09-22}}</ref> In June 2016, three people accused of transporting cows were thrashed by a mob of around 150 claiming to be ''gau rakshak''s (cow protectors) in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh district.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/vigilantes-in-rajasthan-beat-up-trio-of-cow-transporters-strip-one/story-hkURtmMCc0FOZHZ7vtMj1I.html|title=Vigilantes in Rajasthan beat up trio of 'cow transporters', strip one|date=2016-06-03|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2018-09-22|language=en}}</ref>

Other instances with alleged "Cow Protectors" include the burning of Zahid Ahmed, 19 years old, in his truck (in Jammu and Kashmir), and Khushnood Khan was killed on his way to vote. Khan was from the same village as Abbas. Zahid was accused of allegedly slaughtering a cow, and Khan was accused of allegedly consuming beef.<ref name=":3"/>

==Una incident==
On 11 July 2016, the seven members of a Dalit family were skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village near Una in [[Gir Somnath district]] of Gujarat state of India. They had bought the carcass from Bediya village. They were approached by persons in two cars who claimed to be member of cow protection group and accused them of killing cows. Dalits tried to convince them that they were skinning dead cows. They were not convinced and tied Dalits to the car and beat them with sticks, iron pipes and a knife. Four of them were brought to Una town in car and stripped and assaulted again in public. When police arrived, the attackers fled in their car. The assault was recorded on video and circulated on social media. The Dalits were moved to hospital in Una and later to Rajkot civil hospital on 14 July.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/politics/dalit-family-stripped-beaten-as-gau-raksha-vigilantism-continues|title=Dalit Family Stripped, Beaten As 'Gau Raksha' Vigilantism Continues|website=The Wire|access-date=2018-09-22}}</ref><ref name="Una1">{{cite web | title=4 Dalits stripped, beaten up for skinning dead cow | website=The Times of India | date=13 July 2016 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/4-Dalits-stripped-beaten-up-for-skinning-dead-cow/articleshow/53184266.cms | access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="ht1">{{cite web | title=Old enmity behind flogging of Dalit youths in Una: Fact-finding team | website=[[Hindustan Times]]| date=22 July 2016 | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/old-enmity-behind-flogging-of-dalit-youths-in-una-fact-finding-team/story-kET6B4so1X8igyQUybYZSM.html | access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Unaprotest1"/><ref name="PTI12016">{{cite web|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Four-Una-Dalit-Victims-Who-Were-Earlier-Discharged-Have-Now-Been-Hospitalised-Again/|title=Four Una Dalit Victims Who Were Earlier Discharged, Have Now Been Hospitalised Again|date=28 July 2016|website=ScoopWhoop|access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rajkot|first=Amol|date=2017|title=Una Video and the Political Economy of Social Media|url=http://dcac.du.ac.in/documents/Journal/Journal-V.pdf|journal=Intellectual Resonance : DCAC Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies|volume=3|pages=133–143}}</ref>

==Aftermath==

=== Protests ===
The videos of thrashing went viral on internet and sparked the protests across the state.<ref name="Una1"/> On 12 July 2016, a huge protest rally was at first organized in Chandkheda area in [[Ahmedabad]] by various Dalit leaders in which more than 2,000 Dalits attended and blocked the state highway. On 13 July 2016, hundreds of Dalits hold protest rally against the incident and later occupied Trikon Baug, the main square in Una for an hour.<ref name="Unaprotest1">{{cite web | title=Dalits thrashed for skinning cow: Two accused arrested as protests continue in Una | website=The Indian Express | date=14 July 2016 | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalits-thrashed-for-skinning-cow-two-accused-arrested-as-protests-continue-in-una-2912461/ | access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref> On 21 July, the issue was discussed in [[Rajya Sabha]], the upper house of [[Parliament of India|Parliament]]. The protests spread across [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra region]]. Twelve Dalit youth attempted suicide in protest across the region and one of them died. Twelve people including seven police personnel were injured in the protest and one of them died.<ref name="sau2016">{{cite web | title=Gujarat: Violence in Saurashtra kills policeman, Dalit youth commits suicide | website=The Indian Express | date=19 July 2016 | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/gujarat-violence-in-saurashtra-kills-policeman-dalit-youth-commits-suicide-2924408/ | access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref> Bystanders who attempted to interfere were also beaten.<ref name=":3"/>

[[Jignesh Mevani]], an activist, led the protest march called Dalit Asmita Yatra from Ahmedabad to Una which culminated on 15 August 2016 which was attended by some 20,000 Dalits, including women, who took a pledge to give up their traditional jobs of removing cow carcasses. He demanded the land for upliftment of Dalits.<ref name="Pathak 2016">{{cite web | last=Pathak | first=Maulik | title=We plan to take our fight to other parts of India: Jignesh Mevani | website=livemint.com/ | date=2016-10-07 | url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/O5RJuV7wwud9iEOWOFXmjI/We-plan-to-take-our-fight-to-other-parts-of-India-Jignesh-M.html | access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref><ref name="Huffington Post India 2016">{{cite web | title=The Leader Of The Fledgling Dalit Uprising In Gujarat Is Determined To Not Let It Die | website=Huffington Post India | date=2016-08-04 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/08/04/meet-the-face-of-the-rising-dalit-movement-in-gujarat/ | access-date=2016-12-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622002659/http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/08/04/meet-the-face-of-the-rising-dalit-movement-in-gujarat/ | archive-date=2017-06-22 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In August 2016, 10 Dalits were injured and vehicles were torched when a mob attacked them returning from Una after attending a flag-hoisting ceremony to mark the end their 10-day Azadi Kooch (freedom march). The government denied the incident.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dalits-attacked-by-mob-near-una-gujarat-govt-denies-any-violence/story-8pOjLVx0JJsv1bI7L4PUdN.html|title=Dalits 'attacked' by mob near Una, Gujarat govt denies any violence|date=2016-08-15|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2018-09-22|language=en}}</ref>

The government had filed 74 cases against the protesters.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/una-dalit-victims-seek-mercy-killing-write-to-president-say-government-didnt-fulfill-promises-5468078/|title=Una Dalit victims seek mercy killing, write to President, say 'government didn't fulfill promises'|date=2018-11-28|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>

====Other incident====
On 25 April 2018, two of the victims of the Una incident were again attacked by one of the accused who was out on bail. They were returning from shopping in Una in preparation for their [[Dalit Buddhist movement|conversion to Buddhism]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/caste/una-flogging-incident-victims-attacked-again|title=Two Years Later, Una Flogging Incident Victims Attacked Again|website=The Wire|access-date=2018-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thewire.in/caste/una-flogging-incident-victims-attacked-again|title=Two Years Later, Una Flogging Incident Victims Attacked Again|last1=Dhar|first1=Damayantee|website=The Wire|publisher=The Wire|access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref>

==Arrests==
The Gujarat [[Criminal Investigation Department (India)|Crime Investigation Department]] (CID) arrested 43 people in September 2016 including two minors and four police officers. Later, 35 of them were released on bail and one arrested police officer died of jaundice in September 2017. The prime accused was released on bail on the condition of not entering the limits of Una. Thirty-four of them were charged for attempt to murder, robbery, kidnapping, assault to dishonour person, wrongful confinement, rioting, hurting by weapon and criminal conspiracy. They were also charged for atrocities and recording the video of the incident. The charge sheet was filed in December 2016.<ref name=":1"/>

The trial started in August 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsclick.in/una-flogging-case-no-protection-witnesses-21-43-accused-out-bail|title=Una Flogging Case – No Protection For Witnesses, 21 of 43 Accused Out on Bail|date=2019-02-16|website=NewsClick|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>

== Government response ==
Gujarat Chief Minister [[Anandiben Patel]] visited Mota Samadhiyala and promised that the victims would be given Below Poverty Line cards, housing plots, five-acre agricultural land and government jobs. However, in 2018, the BJP government told the [[Gujarat Legislative Assembly]] that there was no record of the promises. Jignesh Mevani, who had asked the question in the Assembly, accused the state government of reneging on its promise.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-assembly-no-record-land-job-to-una-dalit-victims-mevani-5105177/|title=Gujarat Assembly: Govt says no record of land and job promises made to Una Dalit victims|date=2018-03-21|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-09-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

The victims had protested with hunger strike against the government and sought [[mercy killing]] for not fulfilling the promise.<ref name=":2"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsclick.in/index.php/Una-Victims-Protest-Outside-Government-Office-Scorching-Heat|title=Una Flogging Victims Protest Outside Government Office, One Falls Sick in Scorching Heat|date=2019-05-07|website=NewsClick|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The 2019 Hindi film ''[[Article 15 (film)|Article 15]]'' portrayed the flogging incident.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{#seo:
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[[Category:Protest marches]]
[[Category:Protests in India]]
[[Category:History of Gujarat (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Indian caste movements]]
[[Category:Politics of Gujarat]]
[[Category:2016 in Indian politics]]
[[Category:2016 protests]]

2016 Una flogging incident - Revision history

MetaBOT at 19:03, 8 July 2023