The Sarvaiya family tells their story ten years later, explaining that the 2016 incident took away much from them, but also gave them an identity they never had before. They are now known as activists fighting for Dalit rights.
The first thing one sees upon entering the house are four portraits hanging on the wall—of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Gautam Buddha, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, and Savitribai Phule.
For each member of the family, these are not only portraits of great personalities but also a testament to the changes in their lives over the past ten years. This is the same house where people would come to express their condolences a decade ago.
For politicians, social activists, and journalists across the country, this house had become a symbol of atrocities against Dalits. On July 11, 2016, four members of the Sarvaiya family were publicly beaten and paraded half-naked in Una, Gujarat. The head of the family, Balubhai Sarvaiya, was also attacked.
This incident sparked a nationwide debate on atrocities against Dalits and sparked a widespread Dalit movement in Gujarat.
Courtesy: Hindi News