Six ‘refugee’ dalit families get land

Palanpur: A day after TOI published a report on 33 members of six dalit families living in a ‘refugee’ camp for six months after being forced to flee from their village Maniyari village, the Patan district collectorate allotted a plot each to the families on Thursday.

The families were living in the camp since June last year after being ostracised by the dominant Patidar community in the village located some 34km from Patan.

Patan collector Anand Patel said, “Six plots were allotted to the six families on compassionate grounds in Patan as they were not willing to return to their village. Houses will be built on these plots under the Ambedkar Awaas Yojna.”

A local activist, Narendra Parmar, said, “The state government has accepted our demand. Now, we will focus our attention on speedy construction of the houses so that all the 33 people can peacefully.”

They were living in the ‘refugee’ camp on the premises of a community hall after being attacked by the Patidars following a spat over a Dalit boy lighting firecrackers.

One of these refugees, Prahlad Hirabhai Chamar, said that he made numerous representations to the state government and police but they were in vain. There are including 14 children among the 33 Dalits, of which three were born at the relief camp.