Gujarat DGP asks senior officers to visit 'sensitive' villages amid reports of atrocities against Dalits

Ahmedabad: Against the backdrop of recent incidents of alleged atrocities on Dalits in various parts of Gujarat, state DGP Shivanand Jha on Wednesday directed police officers to visit ‘sensitive’ villages to understand the ground situation and resolve the problems of the community. [caption id=“attachment_4179255” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] In a communication sent to all the senior officers including district superintendents of police and police commissioners of various cities, Jha asked them to plan ‘village visits’ during the next three months to understand the problems of Dalits and resolve them on the spot. Jha said such visits are needed in the present time as several incidents of Dalit atrocities have surfaced in different districts of the state. All those villages where such conflicts between communities were reported in the past or (where) there exists a possibility of conflicts in future, should be considered as ‘sensitive villages’, as per the communication. Villages or areas in cities that had witnessed communal conflicts in the past should also be considered as ‘sensitive’ and visits should be planned accordingly, according to the DGP. During this drive, to be started immediately, designated police officers of each district should visit areas having concentrated Dalit population and try to understand their problems and solve them immediately, the DGP ordered. Apart from solving problems, police officers should also try to build a cohesive atmosphere by holding joint meetings. Officers are also required to sensitise other communities about dalits and their issues, it said. Police officers are required to prepare a comprehensive report about their visits and send it to the concerned district SP or police commissioner who in turn are required to send it to the DGP after three months. The DGP’s order came a week after a 13-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly beaten up by Rajput youths in Bahucharaji town of Mehsana district for wearing a pair of ‘Mojdi’, a type of leather shoes. Last month, a group of Rajputs had clashed with Dalits in Dholka town in Ahmedabad district over a Dalit man’s decision to add ‘Sinh’ suffix to his name.