Dalits are adding 'Sinh' to their names to reclaim dignity
The 2016 Una uprising lit a fire in India's Dalit community that shows no signs of stopping. After the viral moustache social media campaign, it is now about the name 'Sinh.' This name is what has allegedly triggered recent incidents of violence by upper-castes in Gujarat. And this is the name they have now chosen to reclaim their dignity and space.
In 10 days, three attacks
In 10 days, at least three attacks on Dalits have been reported because they had named themselves 'Sinh.' In Dholka, Rajputs clashed with Dalits after Maulik Jadav changed his name to Mauliksinh Jadav on Facebook. In Palanpur, another was attacked for carrying 'Sinh' on ceremonial invitation-cards. In Banaskantha, Himat Chauhan was assaulted by the Darbar community after he became Himatsinh Chauhan on Facebook.
'Kshatriyas have earned the title of Sinh'
Asked why the upper-castes should have a problem with having 'Sinh' in the names of Dalits, Dileepsingh Vaghela, Gujarat in-charge of the Karni Sena, asserts, "Kshatriyas have earned the title of 'Sinh' by fighting for the country. Others should respect this. It's our identity."
The Una uprising triggered a bright blazing fire
But a certain fire is blazing now among Gujarat's Dalits, who form 7% of the state's population. Upper-castes, excluding Patidars, make up 25%. Their determination got a boost after July'16, when four Dalit youths were stripped, tied and flogged in Una for skinning a dead cow. The incident saw the biggest Dalit uprising in Gujarat, as thousands took to the streets demanding respect.
Last year, it was the viral moustache social media campaign
Last year, when Piyush Parmar of Limodara village was beaten up for sporting a moustache, Dalit youths and supporters began a campaign, posting images of themselves twirling their long moustaches. Hashtags like #JativaadNaVirodhMa ("Opposing casteism") and #PiyushbhaiNaSamarthanMa ("In support of Piyushbhai") went viral. "This campaign shows that we are fearless in choosing how to live and what to wear," Parmar said.
Youths are changing their names on Facebook, and it's spreading
Amid the recent attacks, 15-year-old Rahul Jadav updated his Facebook timeline with a new post: "I have changed my name from Rahul Jadav to Rahulsinh Jadav." "I can name myself anything. No one has the right to suppress us," said Valthera Sarpanch Bharat Jadav, adding 1,000 Dalits in the village had now followed similarly. The campaign is slowly but surely spreading to outside Gujarat.
'Una didn't stop atrocities, but Dalits are now reacting'
Manishi Jani, human rights activists and social expert, says: "What the recent clashes indicate is that Dalits are now retaliating when others try to impose feudal system. After the Una flogging, atrocities have not stopped. But Dalits now feeling empowered and are reacting."
