ATROCITY PREVENTION ACTION COMMITTEE, SISWA, KHEDA DT ., GUJARAT
Village Sista in Borsad taluk has a history of atrocities on SCs by the Patels. It reached its peak on July 7 last. The sarpanch, Shailesh Nagri Patel, falsely implicated a few Vankar youth and the police beat them while “investigating” the alleged theft. Fifty Patels armed with pistol, revolver, Tamana, Dariya’s and stones attacked the Sankara’s. They set on fire a Vankar house. They also assaulted six women and misbehaved with girls. This went on for an hour. All this were going on in the presence of the police who simply watched the violence. The behavior of the police is shocking.
The Vanak’s in Sista have always lived in fear. In March 1991, a Vankar was beaten by S.N. Patel and his men. A social boycott of Dalits was imposed. No Vankar is called for work, shop-keepers not allowed to sell any goods to the Vanak’s. Even barbers refused their services to the Vanak’s.
