Ahmedabad: Exactly a decade after the Una flogging case became a national flashpoint, the lives of its survivors have come full circle. In 2016, five Dalit men were assaulted for handling the carcass of a cow killed by a lion. The victims abandoned the work that led to the attack, bought four cattle with aid from political parties, and rebuilt their lives around livestock and farming to support their families. Last month, lions killed two of those cows in separate attacks, ironically pushing their families into uncertainty once again.“We have not skinned dead cattle since the flogging. We survive on farming and animal husbandry now, but losing two cows to lion attack has rendered life difficult again. We are a family of 18 and loss of cattle has halved our income” said survivor Vashram Sarvaiya. He recounted that lions’ presence is routine in the village. On the fateful day, a lion entered the cattle shed outside their home and killed two cows. The family reported the matter to the village head who took the details as per procedure.The Una flogging case drew nationwide attention after videos showed the five Dalit men tied to a vehicle and publicly whipped by a group of self-styled cow vigilantes near Mota Samadhiyala village in Gir Somnath district on July 11, 2016.The incident triggered protests across Gujarat and sparked a national debate on caste violence and vigilantism.The survivors said the attack forced them to abandon an occupation their families had depended on for generations. Financial assistance received from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BSP chief Mayawati helped them buy four cows and begin earning through dairy farming instead.Even after 10 years, they say the consequences of the assault remain part of their everyday lives.According to Vashram, the attack adversely impacted the mental well being of his brothers. He is undergoing psychiatric treatment for mental trauma and is unable to live independently. Other brothers too nurse physical and mental wounds that are slow to heal.The families also claimed the rehabilitation promised after the incident largely remained on paper.Balu Sarvaiya, another survivor, claimed the families are still waiting for what they consider “complete justice”. “We have neither received the rehabilitation promised by the govt nor the support needed to rebuild our lives. Even after 10 years, we struggle to lead normal lives,” he said.Vashram said, “Then chief minister Anandiben Patel had announced to give us five acres of agricultural land, residential plots, and govt jobs during her visit to the village. However, in 2018, the Gujarat govt informed the legislative assembly that there was no written record of those announcements, leaving no official proposal for implementation.”The survivors further alleged that a cheque handed over by a political leader after the incident later bounced.
