{{short description|Indian politician and activist}} {{lead rewrite|date=December 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jignesh Mevani | image = Jignesh Mevani Social activist.jpg | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1980|12|11}} | birth_place = Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India | alma_mater = Gujarat University (BA, LLB)<br/>Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (PGD) | occupation = *Lawyer *Social Activist *Politician *Journalist | office = Member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly | constituency = Vadgam | term_start = 18 December 2017 | predecessor = Manilal Vaghela | term_end = | successor = | signature = Jignesh Mevani autograph.svg | party = Indian National Congress (2021–Present) | other_party = Independent (2017–2021) | website = {{URL|https://jigneshmevani.com}} | caption = ''Jignesh Mevani at Gujarati Literature Festival (GLF) on 16 December 2016'' }} '''Jignesh Mevani''' (alternatively '''Mewani'''; born 11 December 1980) is an Indian politician, lawyer, activist and former journalist serving as the representative of the Vadgam constituency in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly since 2017. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party. He is the convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM).
== Early life and education == Jignesh Mevani was born on 11 December 1980 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to a family of Dalits from the village of Meu in Mehsana district.<ref name="mp22">{{cite magazine|last=Vankar|first=Devendra|date=October 2016|editor1-last=Parmar|editor1-first=Anita|title=Introduction article on Jignesh Mevani|magazine=Sanvedana Samaj|location=Ahmedabad|publisher=Kishor Makwana}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=3 December 2017|title=UNI Others Feed|agency=United News of India|url=http://www.uniindia.com/other/news/1065025.html}}</ref> He grew up in a lower middle class family, his parents had become government clerks,<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|last=Raza|first=Danish|date=20 January 2018|title=From Dalit activist to Gujarat MLA: Tracking Jignesh Mevani's journey|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-depth-jignesh-mevani-s-journey-from-a-dalit-activist-to-vadgam-mla/story-T9N0QvSF6jVaah8tjKPlQI.html|access-date=28 March 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> and resided in the Dalit populated locality of Meghaninagar in Ahmedabad.<ref name=":42">{{Cite web|last=Dhabi|first=Parimal A|date=26 December 2017|title=Ex-journalist, lawyer, aspiring politician: Meet Jignesh Mevani, face of the Gujarat Dalit agitation|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/gujarat-dalit-agitation-jignesh-mevani-dalits-incident-in-una-2960239/|access-date=30 March 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> His father worked at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and his mother at the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).<ref name=":02" /> Mevani attended school at the Swastik Vidyalaya and then the Vishwa Vidyalay Madhaymik Shala in Ahmedabad district.<ref name=":12">{{cite news|date=27 November 2017|title=Who is Jignesh Mevani?|language=en|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-jignesh-mevani/|access-date=28 December 2020}}</ref> He began his higher secondary education in the core stream of science, dropped out and completed his schooling after switching to humanities.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=Bhardwaj|first=Amit|date=22 December 2017|title=Jignesh Mevani: Inside story of Gujarat's 'Ambedkar' and now Vadgam MLA|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2017/12/22/gujarat-ambedkar-vadgam-jignesh-mevani|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Newslaundry}}</ref> He attained his graduation in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the HK Arts College,<ref name=":12" /><ref name="mp22" /> affiliated with the Gujarat University.
Mevani states that in college, he was never seen as just a Dalit student. He was particularly impressed by Saumya Joshi who was an associate professor and dramatist at the college and by the faculty member Sanjay Bhave who introduced him to various historical and contemporary figures of social activism in Gujarat.<ref name=":02" /> He further states it was because of Joshi and Bhave that he came into contact with Gujarati civil society newsletters such as ''Bhoomiputra'', ''Nirikshak'' and ''Naya Marg''.<ref name=":42" /> In his student life, Mevani performed in parallel cinema and researched the works of the Gujarati language poet, Mareez.<ref name=":32" /> He was also influenced by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and the human rights activist Mukul Sinha during this period. Following his graduation, he enrolled at the Bhavan's College, Ahmedabad for a postgraduate diploma,<ref name=":02" /> in journalism and mass communication,<ref name=":12" /> which he received in 2004.<ref name="mp22" />
== Activism ==
=== Early career === In 2004, Mevani shifted to Mumbai and became a journalist with the Gujarati language news magazine called ''Abhiyaan.''<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":02" /> He worked at the magazine for three years before quitting journalism to become an activist.<ref name=":02" /> He also briefly worked for a Gujarati language daily newspaper during this period.<ref name=":42" /> In his testimony, he states that he "realised that idealism and realism are two different things" and came to the final decision to quit career as a journalist after watching the Gujarati documentary on farmers' suicides called ''Khedu Mora Re''.<ref name=":42" />''
Mevani started his activism through trade unions,<ref name=":22" /> and returned to Gujarat in 2008.<ref name=":02" /> He worked with the RTI activist Bharatsinh Zala with whom he visited several places to study the causes and issues leading to farmers' suicides.<ref name=":42" /><ref name=":32">{{Cite web|last=Pathak|first=Maulik|date=9 August 2016|title=Jignesh Mevani: Dalit leader who moves the masses|url=https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/QTJPhj7II16jUEdHXcPHLO/Dalit-leader-who-moves-the-masses.html|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> Eventually, he joined the civil rights organisation run by Mukul Sinha, called Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM).<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":22" /> In order to combat issues of discrimination against Dalits, he grew associations with activists such as Manjula Pradeep and Martin Macwan of the Navsarjan Trust and the Dalit Shakti Kendra.<ref name=":32" /> He also worked with the activist lawyer Girish Patel and the Gandhian activists Chunilal Vaidya for farmers' rights, land reform and the development of sustainable rural economies.<ref name=":02" /> Subsequently, he began leading an agitation for increasing the salaries of sanitation workers.<ref name=":22" /> Mevani states that he drew his last salary of ₹15,000 in August 2007 and relied on 10–15 friends to provide him with ₹1,000–1,500 for his monthly expenses in order to continue working as a full time activist.<ref name=":22" />
In 2009, Mevani had led a JSM survey in the districts of Surendranagar and Ahmedabad to study the distribution of surplus government land to landless Dalits under provisions of the Gujarat Agriculture Land Ceiling Act. The findings of the survey revealed that the allotment of land had occurred only '''on paper''' and physical transfers of land had been denied.<ref name=":32" /> Over the course of the following years, he fought a long drawn out campaign over the allotment of land, in the process filing around 110 RTIs till 2015.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Doval|first=Nikita|date=11 December 2017|title=Gujarat elections: Jignesh Mevani's journey from Dalit agitation to poll battle|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/GZWUejhIdR7HVFY4UmL23I/Gujarat-elections-Jignesh-Mevanis-journey-from-Dalit-agita.html|access-date=31 March 2021|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> Mevani was encouraged to pursue a degree in law in order to be better equipped to assist individuals in need of legal representation.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":22" /> He enrolled in the DT Law College of the Gujarat University while continuing his campaign over land issues during his studies.<ref name=":42" /> He graduated for a second time with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2013,<ref name=":12" /> and became a practising activist lawyer at the Gujarat High Court,<ref name=":42" /> representing landless Dalits in their cases.<ref name=":21">{{Cite book|last1=Chhibber|first1=Pradeep|title=India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders|last2=Shah|first2=Harsh|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2020|isbn=978-0-19-099144-9|pages=70–80|language=en}}</ref> He also joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 and became its Gujarat spokesperson.<ref name=":32" />
In 2015, Mevani initiated a public interest litigation at the High Court for the allocation of 56,873 acres of surplus government land to landless labourers in Gujarat. Due to his activism over the years, he gathered a following and a support base among workers' groups and Dalits.<ref name=":22" />
=== Una incident and Dalit protests === Mevani rose to national prominence during the protests following the Una flogging incident.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sampath|first=G.|date=5 August 2017|title=Jignesh Mevani, face of Dalits in Gujarat|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jignesh-mevani-face-of-dalits-in-gujarat/article19435937.ece|access-date=3 April 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine|last=Malekar|first=Anosh|date=1 March 2017|title=The BJP faces its next big electoral challenge, in Gujarat, later this year|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/perspectives/bjp-gujarat-electoral-challenge-2017|access-date=15 April 2021|magazine=The Caravan|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web|last=Nigam|first=Aditya|date=18 December 2017|title=Gujarat 2017: Is Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani the messenger of new politics?|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/gujarat-2017-is-dalit-leader-jignesh-mevani-the-messenger-of-new-politics-117121900137_1.html|access-date=18 April 2021|website=The Wire|publisher=Business Standard}}</ref> On 11 July 2016, seven Dalit youths were tortured in the town of Una, Gujarat on the pretext of cow protection and in the presence of the police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 July 2016|title=Dalits thrashing, suicide attempts, arson: What has happened so far in Una|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalits-thrashing-suicide-attempts-arson-all-you-need-to-know-about-una-protest/|access-date=7 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> The assailants had filmed the incident and it was widely shared over social media.<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 July 2016|title=Dalit Family Stripped, Beaten As 'Gau Raksha' Vigilantism Continues|url=https://thewire.in/politics/dalit-family-stripped-beaten-as-gau-raksha-vigilantism-continues|access-date=7 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> The incident culminated into a mass movement and large scale militancy among Dalits in the state.<ref name=":16" /> In midst of the protests, around 30 Dalit rights organisations had combined to form the ''Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti'' (abb. UDALS; Committee to fight against Una Dalit atrocities). The committee announced that a mass demonstration and assembly against caste based atrocities and discrimination was to be held in Ahmedabad on 30 July 2016. Mevani was one of the key organisers of the event,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Shah|first=Ghanshyam|date=2 September 2017|title=Neo-liberal Political Economy and Social Tensions|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2017/35/special-articles/neo-liberal-political-economy-and-social-tensions.html|journal=Economic & Political Weekly|volume=52|issue=35}}</ref> and was appointed the convener of the committee.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Raza|first=Danish|date=6 August 2016|title=Academic and activist: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani rises in Gujarat|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/academic-and-activist-dalit-leader-jignesh-mevani-rises-in-gujarat/story-jjjouVJDwREtAXvxQCjJeK.html|access-date=4 April 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>
==== Dalit ''mahasabha'' and #Chalo Una march ==== The Dalit ''mahasabha'' (grand assembly) was held on 31 July 2016,<ref name=":02" /> after several refusals and delays in the grant of permission by the state administration. The government granted the venue of Archer Depot, a small water clogged ground to the organisers.<ref name=":5" /> It witnessed an assembly of around 20,000 people,<ref name=":6" /> consisting of ragpickers, scavengers, tanners, landless farm labourers, among others. The assembly which consisted mostly of young people also saw non-Dalits participants such as upper caste liberals, human rights activists, Muslims and other backward castes (OBCs).<ref name=":5" /> The gathering became one of the largest demonstrations for the cause of Dalits in the recent history of Gujarat. Mevani gave a speech during the assembly and was received with a wave of approval from the participants.<ref name=":6" /> The assembly invited a number of other speakers from a variety of backgrounds but due to the small size of the ground, many of people left early as they had to stand outside across the road.<ref name=":5" />
{{Location map+|India Gujarat|width=350|float=right|caption=Route of the first ''Azaadi Kooch''.|places={{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=23.0225|long=72.5714|label=Ahmedabad |position=top}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=22.7349|long=72.4402|label=Dholka|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=22.6359|long=72.3000|label=Koth|position=left}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=22.3819|long=71.9807|label=Dhandhuka|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=22.1543|long=71.8957|label=Barvala|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=22.1723|long=71.6636|label=Botad|position=left}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=21.9682|long=71.5754|label=Gadhada|position=left}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=21.6015|long=71.2204|label=Amreli|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=21.3377|long=71.3052|label=Savarkundla|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=21.0411|long=71.4488|label=Rajula|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=20.9365|long=71.1033|label=Mota Samdhiyal|position=bottom}}}}
The momentum garnered in the demonstration led the assembly to conclude with the decision to carry out a ''swabhiman yatra'' (dignity march) on foot,<ref name=":5" /> from Ahmedabad to Una, covering a distance of 380 km.<ref>{{Cite news|date=5 August 2016|title=Dalits begin 'Asmita Yatra' in Gujarat, seek justice|work=Business Standard|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/dalits-begin-asmita-yatra-in-gujarat-seek-justice-116080500644_1.html|access-date=4 April 2021}}</ref> The march was alternatively designated as the ''Dalit Asmita Yatra'' (Dalit Self Respect Journey),<ref name=":32" /> the ''Azaadi Kooch'' (Search for Freedom),<ref name=":22" /> or the #Chalo Una (Let's go to Una!) march.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Kapoor|first=Shuchi|date=18 August 2016|title=#Chalo Una: See the protest that Big Media ignored|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2016/08/18/chalo-una-see-the-protest-that-big-media-ignored|access-date=10 April 2021|website=Newslaundry}}</ref> It began on 5 August and was led by Mevani along with a core group of 70 marchers, the numbers swelled up to thousands throughout the duration of the march as Dalits from across the state joined along various parts of it.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Halarnkar|first=Samar|date=13 August 2016|title=A for Ambedkar: As Gujarat's freedom march nears tryst, an assertive Dalit culture spreads|url=http://scroll.in/article/813771/a-for-ambedkar-as-gujarats-freedom-march-nears-tryst-an-assertive-dalit-culture-spreads|access-date=10 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> The marchers also included activists from the Navsarjan Trust, the Jan Sangharsh Manch and the Communist Party of India.<ref name=":15" />
One of the primary messages of the march was to encourage the Dalit community to leave their traditional caste based occupations and to demand the distribution of 5 acres of land to every landless Dalit in the state.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|last=Jha|first=Satish|date=12 August 2016|title=Dalit Asmita Yatra: Crowds brave rain, new leaders take centrestage|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalit-asmita-yatra-crowds-brave-rain-new-leaders-take-centrestage-2969601/|access-date=4 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Mevani was instrumental in making the issue of land reform and the allocation of land to landless Dalits a major demand of the protest reasoning that if Dalits had the land, they would not have to engage in their traditional occupations such as skinning and disposing of dead cows.<ref name=":32" /> His speeches drew massive crowds which was credited to his understanding of Dalit issues combined with oratorical skill.<ref name=":32" /> He coined the slogan "''Gaaye nu puchhdu taame rakho, aamne amaari jameen aapo"'' (you keep the cow’s tail, give us our land) which came to be in widespread use throughout the protests.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":32" /> In the process, Mevani became a notional leader for the protests across the state since the incident.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Chaturvedi|first=Swati|date=10 March 2018|title=The death of a cow, the birth of a movement|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/the-death-of-a-cow-the-birth-of-a-movement/article21680867.ece1|access-date=4 April 2021|website=Business Line|language=en}}</ref>
On the route, the march received support from Scheduled Caste (SC) villages and no opposition or support from others. Activities such as meetings, distribution of radical literature, etc were confined to the SC villages.<ref name=":5" /> Large number of Dalits across the state took oaths to refrain from handling cow carcasses,<ref name=":16" /> including the tanners of 25 villages who took collective vows to stop performing their caste based occupation of disposing of dead cows.<ref name=":5" /> The procession stopped for the night at various towns and villages through their ten day foot march; Dholka town on 5 August, Koth village on 6 August, Dhandhuka town on 7 August, Barvala village on 8 August, Botad town on 9 August, Gadhada town on 10 August, passing through Amreli and halting at Savarkundla on 11 August, and reaching the town of Rajula on the night of 12 August.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Maanvi|date=6 August 2016|title=In Pics: 10-day Azaadi Kooch Dalit March to Una Is On Its Way|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/in-pics-10-day-azaadi-kooch-dalit-march-to-una-is-on-its-way|access-date=19 April 2021|website=The Quint|language=en}}</ref> From 13 August onwards, the eighth day of the march, as the group approached closer to Una, locals from non-SC villages and Hindu nationalists began attacking the procession with stones, blockading their route and harassing the participants.<ref name=":5" />
The march eventually came to an end on 15 August (Independence Day) after covering 350 km and with a mass meeting in the small village of Mota Samdhiyala.<ref name=":5" /> Situated near the town of Una, the village was the residence and place of origin of the victims of the Una incident,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dhar|first=Damayantee|date=29 April 2018|title=Two Years Later, Una Flogging Incident Victims Attacked Again|url=https://thewire.in/caste/una-flogging-incident-victims-attacked-again|access-date=4 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> and witnessed a gathering of around 15,000 Dalits from around the state in the mass meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Raza|first=Danish|date=15 August 2016|title=Massive Dalit gathering in Una marks end of 10-day protest rally|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/massive-dalit-gathering-in-una-marks-end-of-10-day-protest-rally/story-9WEcJGIdMze9m4zigrtf9K.html|access-date=4 April 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> The assembly also saw the attendance of the Republican Panthers among Dalits, as well as a significant number of Muslims and students from various educational institutions.<ref name=":3" /> Due to the attacks on the march, the organisers were fearful of an incident on the day and decided to invite only two speakers who were already in the media spotlight, Mevani himself and the student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.<ref name=":5" /> Mevani presented a charter of 10 demands of the UDALS which included justice for the victims of the Una atrocity, alternative livelihood options, legal frameworks for the protection of Dalits against similar atrocities and 5 acres of land for every landless Dalit household in the state, along with a 30 day ultimatum seeking a response from the government.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pathak|first=Maulik|date=15 August 2016|title=Dalits give 30-day ultimatum to Gujarat BJP, threaten to block rail routes|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/ZsytX9HNmPvNlNSw1yPDkI/Dalits-give-30day-ultimatum-to-Gujarat-BJP-threaten-to-blo.html|access-date=8 April 2021|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> Radhika Vemula, the mother of Rohith Vemula, was also present and concluded the event with a flag salutation.<ref name=":5" />
==== Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch ==== In order to extend their agitation for land rights to a national scale, UDALS had launched the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM; State Dalit Rights Platform).<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 September 2016|title=Come, sniff 'badbu' Gujarat ki|url=https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/come-sniff-badbu-gujarat-ki/articleshow/54282220.cms|access-date=3 April 2021|website=Ahmedabad Mirror|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=12 September 2016|title=Dalits form national front in Gujarat to up the ante|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalits-form-national-front-in-gujarat-to-up-the-ante/|access-date=25 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Mevani along with several of his friends were the founders of the platform.<ref name=":02" /> During the course of the agitation, Mevani resigned from his membership with the Aam Aadmi Party stating that he intended to keep the protests "untainted by political affiliations".<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=21 August 2016|title=Gujarat: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani quits AAP|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/gujarat-dalit-leader-jignesh-mevani-quits-aap-2988078/|access-date=4 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> He was also involved in the efforts of UDALS to form an alliance with the large network of ''Julahas'' (weavers) composed primarily of Dalit converts to Islam, another targeted community in atrocities on the pretext of cow protection.<ref name=":7" /> The RDAM held an agitation in Rajkot on 31 August with the assistance of the Navsarjan Trust, raising calls to renew the agitations for the charter of demands through means such as ''rail roko'' (train obstruction) and ''gheraos'' (picketing) of government offices for the charter of demands.<ref name=":5" /> [[File:Jignesh Mevani.jpg|thumb|Jignesh Mevani at a programme in Thrissur, Kerala (2016).|300x300px]] Mevani employed the threat of mass civil disobedience after the government's refusal to negotiate,<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|last1=Kenneth|first1=Gabriel|last2=Conlon|first2=Carroll|date=16 December 2016|title=India's Dalit Moment|url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=gj_etds|journal=Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism|publisher=City University of New York}}</ref> the proposed ''rail roko'' agitation was planned to begin on 1 October,<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 September 2016|title=Dalit Leader Jignesh Mevani Arrested Ahead of Modi Visit|url=https://thewire.in/politics/dalit-leader-jignesh-mevani-arrested-ahead-of-modi-visit|access-date=15 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> at the Maninagar railway station in Ahmedabad.<ref name=":17" /> In the meantime, Mevani began to participate in events outside the state to raise support for the movement, bringing national media attention.<ref name=":5" /> The protests in Gujarat had been largely ignored by the corporate media.<ref name=":3" /> In midst of the protests, Mevani was arrested in the evening of 16 September at the Ahmedabad airport on his return from an event at New Delhi and put under detention for the duration of Narendra Modi's visit to Gujarat on his birthday.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kartikeya|first=Charu|date=10 February 2017|title=Gujarat's birthday gift to Narendra Modi: arrest of Dalit, Patidar activists|url=http://www.catchnews.com/politics-news/gujarat-s-birthday-gift-to-narendra-modi-arrest-of-dalit-patidar-activists-1474109516.html|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Catch News|language=en}}</ref> He was detained for a second time on 19 September during the staging of a protest outside the District Collector's office in Ahmedabad and again released on 20 September.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Prakash|first=Shambhavi|date=19 September 2016|title=Jignesh Mevani Released After Getting Detained For Staging Protest|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/dalit-activist-jignesh-mevani-arrested-again-says-he-fears-for-his-life-gujarat-narendra-modi|access-date=15 April 2021|website=The Quint|language=en}}</ref>
The protests continued over the month and the ''rail roko'' agitation was eventually called off on 1 October 2016, after the state government acceded to sitting on negotiations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pathak|first=Maulik|date=7 October 2016|title=We plan to take our fight to other parts of India: Jignesh Mevani|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/O5RJuV7wwud9iEOWOFXmjI/We-plan-to-take-our-fight-to-other-parts-of-India-Jignesh-M.html|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> The first meeting between the RDAM and the state government was held on 3 October.<ref name=":8" /> On 4 October, activists from the RDAM including Mevani were once again detained by the police before they could join a new wave of protests in Gandhinagar over a number of assaults on Dalits including the murder of one in Anand district in the last couple of days.<ref>{{Cite news|date=4 October 2017|title=Dalits protest over crime against community members, detained|work=Business Standard|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/dalits-protest-over-crime-against-community-members-detained-117100400900_1.html|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> The repeated use of preventive detention during the protests received criticism and were described as state repression and as a method of stifling the agitations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mehta|first=Pratap Bhanu|author-link=Pratap Bhanu Mehta|date=5 November 2016|title=There is no Emergency|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/emergency-period-india-ndtv-ban-media-freedom-3737771/|access-date=20 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Chandra|first=Rajshree|date=28 September 2016|title=A Lawless Law|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jignesh-mewani-dalit-leader-khurram-parvez-human-rights-activist-3053386/|access-date=20 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Katju|first=Markandey|author-link=Markandey Katju|date=4 September 2018|title=India has two legal systems to use when needed: Democratic and dictatorial|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/india-has-two-legal-systems-to-use-when-needed-democratic-and-dictatorial/111049/|access-date=20 April 2021|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>
The #Chalo Una march inspired a similar rally called Chalo Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Held in response to an assault on a Dalit family by a unit of the Bajrang Dal in the town of Chikmagalur, it began on 4 October at Freedom Park, Bangalore and ended on 9 October in the town of Udupi.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ananya|first=Ila|date=18 October 2016|title=Chalo Udupi: A Fight To Make Voices of Dalit Women Heard|url=https://thewire.in/rights/chalo-udupi-a-fight-to-make-voices-of-dalit-women-heard|access-date=15 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> Mevani attended the concluding event of the march and gave a speech accusing the government of caste based discrimination in land re-distribution and calling for a ban on ''gau rakshak'' groups and the practice of ''pankti bheda'' (caste based segregation) at the Udupi Sri Krishna Matha.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 October 2016|title='Purification' ceremony conducted in Udupi after Dalit meeting: Report|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/purification-ceremony-conducted-in-udupi-after-dalit-meeting-report-3105041/|access-date=15 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> The protests led by Mevani also inspired a similar protest from Banjaras in Rajasthan in response to another assault by members of the Bajrang Dal on the pretext of cow protection.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pande|first=Suchi|date=11 November 2016|title=How an assault on Banjaras by gau rakshaks sparked an Una-like movement in Rajasthan|url=http://scroll.in/article/821047/how-an-assault-on-banjaras-by-gau-rakshaks-sparked-an-una-like-movement-in-rajasthan|access-date=20 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>
As of December 2016, the negotiations between the RDAM and the government had led to the distribution of plots of land to around 200 Dalit families.<ref name=":8" /> In his testimony, Mevani states that while Dalits frequently face much worse brutalities, the incident at Una became a symbol of their grievances and created an unmatched outcry,<ref name=":02" /> adding that anger among Dalits was simmering for years, and giving the example of the policemen who had shot 3 unarmed Dalits in 2012 and were yet to be arrested.<ref name=":32" />
=== Later agitations === On 6 January 2017, Mevani along with Kanhaiya Kumar joined the agitations of the Kachra Vahtuk Shramik Sangh ({{Translation|Garbage Collection Workers' Association}}) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. In 2015, the monthly minimum wage for municipal workers in the state was increased to ₹14,000 but sanitation was shifted to contractors who hired the workers and paid them wages of around ₹7,000–9,000. Drawing criticism at the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Mevani encouraged the workers to strike if they needed to, stating that the prime minister and Bollywood stars who had promoted themselves through the mission could clean the city themselves if the government continued to refuse basic pay for them.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johari|first=Aarefa|date=7 January 2018|title=In Mumbai, Kanhaiya Kumar and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani give a boost to sanitation workers' rally|url=https://scroll.in/article/826110/in-mumbai-kanhaiya-kumar-and-dalit-leader-jignesh-mevani-give-a-boost-to-sanitation-workers-rally|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>
On 9 January 2017, Mevani announced the beginning of an agitation during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The reason provided by Mevani for the agitation was that the government was readily offering land to corporate giants and signing countless memorandums of understanding with them while refusing to budge on enacting physical transfers of land to landless farmers and Dalits. The protest was scheduled to be held at Adalaj, 10 km away from the venue of the summit but in the early morning of 10 January, Mevani was detained by the police and released later at night. Sagar Rabari, the farmers' rights activist and the general secretary of the Gujarat Khedut Samaj ({{Translation|Gujarat Farming Society}}), and Atul Patel, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader were also detained on the day for declaring their support for the agitation.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|last=Dhar|first=Damayantee|date=12 January 2017|title='Rail Roko' to Derail Vibrant Gujarat Summit Ends With 18 Arrests|url=https://thewire.in/rights/rail-roko-jignesh-mevani-vibrant-gujarat|access-date=19 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref>
Following release, Mevani accompanied by a team of RDAM activists presented a statement at the district magistrate's office which outlined the reason for holding protests and their demands, which according to him was dismissed by the officials. The dismissal prompted the RDAM and Mevani to commence plans for disrupting the summit by reviving the idea of the ''rail roko'' agitation which had been cancelled earlier in October 2016 with the beginning of the negotiations. On 11 January, RDAM activists including Mevani attempted to halt the Rajdhani Express at the Ahmedabad Junction railway station. According to the security commissioner in charge of the Ahmedabad division, Western Railway zone, the protesters emerged out of nowhere, Mevani himself climbed on top of the engine of the train and a group of women began to squat on the tracks in front of the train.<ref name=":17" />
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested several protesters during the agitation and reportedly manhandled some of the women before the arrest. The women were released at midnight but the rest including Mevani and all the men were kept under arrest.<ref name=":17" /> The police booked cases against several of those who were arrested including Mevani and Lakshmiben Maheria, the woman RDAM member who was at the forefront of the protest, under Indian Penal Code sections on "rioting", "hurting public servants", "criminal conspiracy", among others and under the Indian Railways Act section on "endangering lives". The Metropolitan Court gave Mevani and a number of others conditional bail on the evening of 12 January.<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":18" /> The agitation in the middle of Ahmedabad was described to have led to an increase in the visibility of the cause of the protesters among the general public.<ref name=":11" />
In March, the Bharatiya Janata Party had begun campaigning in the Adivasi belt for the upcoming election in Gujarat. In response, the RDAM formed a pact with the Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha ({{Translation|Adivasi Farmers' Struggle Front}}) and Mevani announced that they would launch their own campaign as an expose on the government's failure to grant land to Adivasis under provisions of the Forests Rights Act 2006.<ref name=":4" />
==== Second ''Azaadi Kooch'' ==== {{Location map+ |India Gujarat |width=350|float=right|caption=Route of the second ''Azaadi Kooch''. |places= {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=23.5880|long=72.3693 |label=Mehsana |position=bottom}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=23.8035|long=72.3902|label=Unjha|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=23.9409|long=72.3621|label=Siddhpur|position=left}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=24.2585|long=72.1907|label=Deesa|position=right}} {{Location map~ |India Gujarat |lat=24.5064|long=72.0258|label=Dhanera|position=right}} }}
To commemorate the protests of the earlier year and to reinforce the demand for land reforms in the state, Mevani organised a second ''Azaadi Kooch'' in July 2017.<ref name=":10">{{cite news|last1=Dhar|first1=Damayantee|date=19 July 2017|title=As Azadi Kooch Comes to a Close, Dalits in Gujarat Claim Land They Were Allotted 50 Years Ago|work=The Wire|url=https://thewire.in/caste/azadi-kooch-gujarat-dalits-land|access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> On the anniversary of the fogging incident, the RDAM conducted an event at the Ambedkar Hall, Ahmedabad. The auditorium saw a full attendance and featured participants from across the country including Kumar, the Manav Suraksha Kanoon committee member Anil Chamdia and the relatives of the victims of various lynching cases. The success of the programme prompted the announcement of the second ''Azaadi Kooch.''<ref name=":9">{{cite news |last1=Dhar |first1=Damayantee |title=Delayed Due to Police Detentions, 'Azadi Kooch' Continues Fight for Dalit Rights |url=https://thewire.in/caste/dalit-protest-azadi-kooch-jignesh-mevani |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=The Wire |date=13 July 2017}}</ref> It was scheduled to begin in the town of Mehsana and conclude at the town of Dhanera, Banaskantha district.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=9 July 2017|title=Permission denied for Dalit leader Mevani's ''Freedom March'' in Gujarat|work=Tribune India|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/permission-denied-for-dalit-leader-mevani-s-freedom-march-in-gujarat-434030}}</ref> Banaskantha Dalit Sangathan (BDS), a grassroots rights organisation was instrumental in co-ordinating with the RDAM to organise the procession.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite journal|last=Giri|first=Saroj|date=19 August 2017|title=From 'Uprising' to 'Movement'|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2017/33/commentary/%E2%80%98uprising%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98movement%E2%80%99.html|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|volume=52|issue=33|pages=15–17}}</ref>
The march began on 12 July and was marked by a ''jan sabha'' (people's assembly) of around 1,500 people at Somnath Chowk, Mehsana, located 75 km away from Ahmedabad. Mevani at the gathering, re-iterated the continued denial of physical possession of allotted land to the landless labourers and Dalit families in the state and their demands for it''.''<ref name=":9" /> Activists from the Communist Party of India joined the group in solidarity and continued to accompany the procession throughout the march.<ref name=":10" /> The Patidar leader Reshma Patel and the lawyer activist Shamshad Pathan were invited to the gathering, who aimed to highlight that the struggle for the rights of Dalits, Patidars and Muslims could be brought under the same platform. It was also attended by activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union who had arrived from the state of Punjab to support their cause, and the members of the Jaipur Hangama Natak Dal and Budhan Theatre of Ahmedabad, who volunteered to perform at the gathering''.''<ref name=":9" />
The march was disrupted within hours following its beginning. According to Mevani, a motorcycle attempted to run over him at Fatehpur village, unidentified individuals followed Pathan's vehicle and a group of men came to the procession searching for Kumar. The incidents were reported to the police who according to Pathan advised them to keep marching and not to stop. But as the procession passed through the village of Nani Dau, the police detained the conveners of the RDAM, Mevani and Kaushik Parmar, along with 200 participants of the procession at the village. The activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, the performers who had volunteered as well as Kumar and Patel were also detained while on their way back to Ahmedabad from Mehsana. The detainees were released after three hours and with a case of "unlawful gathering" lodged against 14 individuals, the core team of organisers, including Mevani''.''<ref name=":9" />
On the same day, the police denied permission for the procession to conduct rallies in the towns of Unjha and Siddhpur, the next two destinations of the march. In response, Mevani asserted that the march should be conducted under any circumstances. It was expected to reach Unjha at 8 p.m. but arrived there late at night due to the detentions. The procession held a public meeting in the town at midnight and was joined by a large number of its residents in spite of the delay. Mevani gave a speech at the meeting where he stated that the government was sparing no effort to disrupt the march and that "[t]he momentum of the movement may have been slowed down, but the spirit has certainly not dampened."<ref name=":9" />
The march reached Siddhpur on 13 July where it received a surge of Dalits, Muslims and members of the nomadic tribe of Chharas.<ref name=":11" /> Police personnel and attaches from state and central intelligence agencies began accompanying them by the time the march entered Banaskantha district. Dalpat Bhatia of the BDS helped them secure permission to march through the villages of Banaskantha and it continued without further disruption.<ref name=":10" /> It passed through the village of Sagrosana, near Palanpur on 14 July where it was received with felicitation, in particular from Dalit women. The RDAM had directly intervened in the village where a Dalit woman named Madhuben was attempting to gain possession of her land which she had been allotted in 2006.<ref name=":11" /> One of the committee members of the RDAM, Lakshmiben Maheria was a Dalit woman from the village.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web|last=Dhar|first=Damayantee|date=21 July 2017|title=The Story of Laxmiben Maheria, Fiery Leader of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch|url=https://thewire.in/gender/laxmiben-dalit-womans-journey-mother-wife-leader|access-date=17 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> From the beginning the march was led by a large contingent of Dalit women, who gave speeches, sang songs and coined slogans on multiple occasions. One of the key issues the movement brought up was to campaign against the traditional custom of ''ghoonghat'' (face veil).<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|last=Kalita|first=Devangana|date=17 July 2017|title=Azadi Kooch: The Amazing Women in the Lead|url=https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/7/11250/Azadi-KoochFreedom-March-The-Amazing-Women-in-the-Lead|access-date=17 April 2021|website=The Citizen|language=en-US|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417112428/https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/7/11250/Azadi-KoochFreedom-March-The-Amazing-Women-in-the-Lead|url-status=dead}}</ref>
It reached the town of Deesa on 15 July,<ref name=":11" /> and eventually reached Dhanera on 18 July. One of the objectives of the ''Azaadi Kooch'' had been to conclude the march by securing land of 12 acres which was allotted to four Dalit families in the village of Lavara near Dhanera. On 17 July, while they had stopped at the village of Soneth, they were informed by the police personnel that Dileep Rana, the district magistrate (DM) of Banaskantha had taken up the issue and would ensure the physical possession of land.<ref name=":10" /> The march held a gathering at Dhanera which witnessed a participation of around 2,500–5,000 people cordoned by around 200 police personnel.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=19 July 2017|title=Freedom march of dalits concludes at Dhanera {{!}} Rajkot News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/freedom-march-of-dalits-concludes-at-dhanera/articleshow/59655857.cms|access-date=18 April 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> During the gathering, the Dalits from Lavara reached the rally and informed them that their land was illegally occupied by a group of Rajputs who had threatened them including their ''sarpanch'' (village head). On receiving the news, Mevani announced that they would sit on a ''dharna'' (sit in protest) outside the Dhanera police station. The police agreed to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the encroachers, but prevented the procession from entering the village itself.<ref name=":10" />
In the end, Bhatia from the BDS, accompanying members of the Communist Party and four members of the core team of the RDAM, namely Mevani, Dixit Parmar, Kaushik Parmar and Rakesh Maheria, visited the location accompanied by the police in order to oversee the transfer of the land. Activists in the BDS were assigned to maintain communications with the Dalit families to ensure that the land remained in their possession.<ref name=":10" /> The march lasted for 7 days and concluded with the transfer of land which occurred after a period of 50 years since they were first allotted to the four families.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":14" /> DM Rana later gave a statement that no case was registered against the encroachers since it was agricultural land and they were using it for that purpose.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|date=18 July 2017|title=Azadi Kooch Concludes Today: 50 years later, 7 Dalit families in Banaskantha to get their land back|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/azadi-kooch-concludes-today-50-years-later-7-dalit-families-in-banaskantha-to-get-their-land-back-4755498/|access-date=17 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> According to ''The Citizen'' news website, the march received a media blackout from most of the mainstream media.<ref name=":13" />
== Member of Legislative Assembly ==
=== 2017 election === On 30 November 2017, it was announced that Mevani would contest in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly election as an independent candidate at Vadgam constituency. The constituency was reserved for Scheduled Castes and had a large population of Dalits.<ref name=":2" /> The announcement came at the last day for filing of nominations,<ref name=":12" /> and campaign lacked both funding and a concrete organisation.<ref name=":02" /> Mevani's campaign operated out of a motel situated in a small village on the Ahmedabad–Palanpur highway.<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":2" /> The farmers' rights activist Sagar Rabari, volunteered to help the campaign in devising its election strategy.<ref name=":02" /> Local activists such as Dalpat Bhatia with a team of 1,000 people from the Banaskantha Dalit Sangathan and Ishaqbhai Maderia from the Jan Sangharsh Manch volunteered to campaign for him. Maderia was elected as sarpanch of Bhangal village, an year earlier in the ''panchayat'' (local body) elections and Mevani adopted the election symbol of sewing machine which Maderia had used in his election.<ref name=":2" />
Mevani had appealed to other parties to not field candidates in the constituency stating that his fight was primarily against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).<ref name=":12" /> The Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party withdrew their candidates,<ref name=":02" /> and both the parties announced their support for Mevani.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Dhar|first=Damayantee|date=13 December 2017|title=The Challenges Facing Jignesh Mevani, Independent Candidate From Vadgam|url=https://thewire.in/caste/gujarat-elections-jignesh-mevani-vadgam|access-date=7 April 2021|website=The Wire}}</ref> This turned it into primarily a bipolar contest between Mevani and Vijay Chakravarthi, the candidate of the BJP.<ref name=":12" /> Ashwin Parmar, the son of a former Congress legislator decided to rebel and contest from the constituency as an independent, causing apprehensions that he could draw in some of the votes that would have otherwise went to Mevani.<ref name=":22" /> Among other candidates were one from a local party called Jan Chetna, one from the Bahujan Samaj Party and six other independent candidates. According to Bhatia, the Banasakantha Dalit Sangathan was able to sway around 20,000 voters among Dalits towards voting for Mevani instead of Parmar.<ref name=":2" />
Four separate groups emerged to campaign for him; his associates from Ahmedabad, human rights activists and volunteers from Delhi, local communities and organisations in Vadgam and the Congress party workers.<ref name=":02" /> His candidacy was endorsed by the Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Thakor community activist Alpesh Thakor who had joined the Congress.<ref name=":2" /> According to one of Mevani's friends, the Congress party workers stopped working for their campaign after Ashwin Parmar's candidancy despite their party leadership's position.<ref name=":22" /> On 5 December, his procession was attacked during campaigning in Tarakwad village although no one was injured. Kaushik Parmar, an associate of Mevani at the RDAM states that the incident caused a surge in supporters volunteering for his campaign.<ref name=":2" /> His team arranged a crowdfunding initiative for the campaign which ultimately raised ₹20,50,000.<ref name=":02" /> The writer and activist Arundhati Roy donated ₹3,00,000 to the campaign.<ref name=":22" /> According to Roy, Mevani represented "a kind of breakthrough in Indian politics, a solidarity that rises from the bottom upwards".<ref name=":0" />
In contrast to Mevani's campaign, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a well organised electoral machinery, the ''Hindustan Times'' in a later report compared it to a David vs Goliath situation.<ref name=":02" /> The BJP campaign created a perception among upper castes that the Dalit leader Mevani would conduct witch-hunts against them.<ref name=":22" /> According to Sagar Rabri, the community of Chaudharys were concerned that they would be targeted with cases under the Atrocities Act because Dalits worked in their farms and factories.<ref name=":02" /> The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the party president Amit Shah, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath themselves arrived to campaign against him in the constituency.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=11 December 2017|title=BJP's tricks are not going to work, Gujaratis know I have integrity: Jignesh Mevani|work=Hindustan Times|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/assembly-elections/bjp-s-tricks-are-not-going-to-work-gujaratis-know-i-have-integrity-jignesh-mevani/story-RhDWOzIW544N4yj768yyvL.html|access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> During the campaign, the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Mevani of having "terror links" in response to which he threatened to initiate a defamation suit against the party.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 December 2017|title=Accused of terror-link fund, Jignesh Mevani threatens to sue BJP|url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/gujarat-assembly-elections-2017/accused-of-terror-link-fund-jignesh-mevani-threatens-to-sue-bjp-4975838/|access-date=7 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>
Before the announcement of the results, Mevani had predicted that he would either lose or win with a small margin of around 5,000 votes.<ref name=":22" /> Mevani won the election with a margin of over 18,000 votes.<ref name=":16" /> Chakravarthi secured 75,801 votes polling at 40.32% while Mevani secured 95,397 votes polling at 50.79%.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gujarat General Legislative Election 2017|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3841-gujarat-general-legislative-election-2017/|website=eci.gov.in|publisher=Election Commission of India|access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref>
In 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, Jignesh Mevani won the election with a margin of over 5,000 votes. Manilal Vaghela secured 89,837 votes polling at 45.51% while Mevani secured 94,765 votes polling at 48%.
=== Tenure === [[File:Jignesh_Mevani_(_center)_at_Hunkar_Rally,_New_Delhi,_Jan_2018.jpg|thumb|Jignesh Mevani (center) at Youth Hunkar rally on Sansad Marg, New Delhi (9 January 2018)|left|330x330px]]On 6 October 2018, Mevani attended a panel discussion of Dalit leaders, activists and academics at Jaipur, Rajasthan.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Dhara|first=Tushar|date=28 October 2018|title=Why the BJP is unlikely to get Dalit votes in the Rajasthan elections|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/dalit-votes-bjp-rajasthan-elections-2018|access-date=15 April 2021|magazine=The Caravan|language=en}}</ref>
In February 2019, the president and the vice-president of the HK Arts College were forced to cancel an event where they had invited Mevani (an alumnus of the college) and resigned thereafter under pressure from Bharatiya Janata Party affiliated students union leaders.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johari|first=Aarefa|date=13 February 2019|title=Interview: Gujarat college academics explain why they resigned after Jignesh Mevani controversy|url=https://scroll.in/article/913038/interview-gujarat-college-academics-explain-why-they-resigned-after-jignesh-mevani-controversy|access-date=4 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2019, Mevani opposed the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Bill on the justification that it would adversely effect the tribals in the area, stating that they were displaced from 70 villages when the government forcefully snatched their lands for the construction of the statue. The Bill created a governance authority empowered to take punitive action against engaging in activities which would harm the "tourism potential" of the site, including begging, hawking and unauthorised development.<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 December 2019|title=Statue of Unity has drawn 2.9 mn tourists, generated Rs 82 cr, since launch|work=Business Standard|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/guj-statue-of-unity-attracted-29l-tourists-earned-rs-82-cr-119121001340_1.html|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref> Mevani was suspended for 3 days on grounds of indiscipline after alleging that the Treasury benches followed the ''Manusmriti'' and not the Constitution, according to him the bill violated the provisions of the Schedule 5 of the Constitution of India.
In March 2021, Mevani was suspended for a day on grounds of indiscipline from the Gujarat Legislative Assembly by the speaker Rajendra Trivedi. He was demanding the arrest of a police officer and had questioned the Home Minister, Pradipsinh Jadeja on whether he was related to the officer who was allegedly present at an incident where a Dalit RTI activist was beaten to death by a group of upper caste men.<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 March 2021|title=Gujarat activist killing: Jignesh Mevani demands police officer's arrest, suspended from Assembly|url=https://scroll.in/latest/990000/gujarat-activist-killing-jignesh-mevani-demands-police-officers-arrest-suspended-from-assembly|access-date=4 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>
In April 2021, Mevani raised the issue of postponement of offline secondary and higher secondary boards examination in Gujarat, stating that Central Board of Secondary Education has cancelled its offline examinations but the education department is continuing it and risking the lives of students.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalita|first=Bishal|date=14 April 2021|title=What About ICSE? Ask Students After CBSE's Decision On Board Exams|url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/icse-board-exam-2021-postpone-news-isc-cbse-board-exam-2021-latest-updates|access-date=15 April 2021|website=NDTV|language=en}}</ref>
==== Arrest ==== Mevani was arrested by the Assam Police on 20 April 2022 after he made a tweet criticising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with charges under the Indian Penal Code sections for criminal conspiracy, hurting religious sentiment and threat to peace.<ref name=":25">{{Cite web |date=21 April 2022 |title=Assam Court Rejects Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani's Bail Plea, Sends Him to 3-Day Police Custody |url=https://thewire.in/politics/gujarat-mla-jignesh-mevani-arrested-by-assam-police-over-tweets-criticising-modi |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Wire}}</ref><ref name=":26">{{Cite web |last=Choudhury |first=Ratnadip |date=24 April 2022 |title="A Message": BJP Leader Who Filed Case Against Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/a-message-bjp-leader-who-filed-case-against-gujarat-mla-jignesh-mevani-2914805 |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=NDTV}}</ref> The BJP leader who filed the complaint stated that it was done to send a message to people that they need to be careful about making negative posts against the Prime Minister.<ref name=":26" /> Mevani stated that the arrest came as a surprise to him but he was not afraid and would continue to fight for the rights of the deprived, adding that the arrest has only gone to highlight the real situation of the country and the motives of the government. He was arrested at midnight from his residence in Gujarat and transported to Kokrajhar district, Assam, where his anticipatory bail was initially rejected by the district court which stating that the hearing for it will be held on a later date.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 April 2022 |title=Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani held over tweet; bail rejected |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/gujarat-mla-jignesh-mevani-arrested-by-assam-police/article65340709.ece |access-date=25 April 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":27">{{Cite web |last=Jaiswal |first=Umanand |date=23 April 2022 |title=Jignesh Mevani to callers: I will continue to do my job |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/jignesh-mevani-to-callers-i-will-continue-to-do-my-job/cid/1861856 |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref>
The arrest received condemnation and was described as an attack on freedom of speech and intimidation of dissidents through the misuse of law and order machinery under the Modi administration in India.{{refn|<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2022 |title=Outrage without borders: The Hindu Editorial on Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani's arrest by Assam Police |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/outrage-without-borders-the-hindu-editorial-on-gujarat-mla-jignesh-mevanis-arrest-by-assam-police/article65345561.ece |access-date=25 April 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chakravarty |first=Ipsita |date=23 April 2022 |title=Jignesh Mevani arrest shows Modi's critics don't have the same freedom of speech as his supporters |url=https://scroll.in/article/1022431/jignesh-mevani-arrest-shows-modis-critics-dont-have-the-same-freedom-of-speech-as-his-supporters |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":25" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sachdev |first=Vakasha |date=24 April 2022 |title=Everything Wrong (Legally) With Jignesh Mevani's Arrest by Assam Police |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/law/jignesh-mevani-arrest-illegal-arnesh-kumar-no-prima-facie-case-abuse-of-criminal-law-sc |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Quint |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":27" />}} Human rights activist such as Akhil Gogoi, Kavita Krishnan, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and opposition politicians including Debabrata Saikia, Gaurav Gogoi and Rahul Gandhi extended their support to him.<ref name=":25" /> Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated that the arrest was an attack on democratic norms and an example of the dictatorial attitude of the Modi administration and the Bharatiya Janata Party.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 April 2022 |title=Gehlot slams BJP's 'dictatorial attitude' after Mevani arrest |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/gehlot-slams-bjps-dictatorial-attitude-after-mevani-arrest-1103307.html |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=Deccan Herald |publisher=Press Trust of India |language=en}}</ref> The President of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, K. T. Rama Rao reiterated the statement in Mevani's tweet, that Modi was following Nathuram Godse's ideology and dared the government to arrest him as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 April 2022 |title=Modi is directly supporting ideology of Godse: KTR |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2022/apr/24/modi-is-directly-supporting-ideology-of-godse-ktr-2446045.html |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Activists and opposition parties including the Indian National Congress organised a protest outside the Kokrajhar police station where Mevani was being held with plans to move the case to the Guwahati High Court if necessary, while several other activists and supporters of Mevani announced their intention to escalate the protests to Delhi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agarwala |first=Tora |date=22 April 2022 |title=Opposition leaders protest outside Assam police station where Jignesh Mevani is held |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/opposition-leaders-protest-outside-assam-police-station-jignesh-mevani-held-7882754/ |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":25" /> After a 3 day police custody, he was moved to judicial custody by the district court with the date for the hearing scheduled for 25 April.<ref name=":25" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Agarwala |first=Tora |date=25 April 2022 |title=Jignesh Mevani sent to judicial custody; court reserves judgment for Monday |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jignesh-mevani-judicial-custody-court-reserves-judgment-7885423/ |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
He was released on 25 April after the hearing with the court stating that it did not find any reasonable grounds for keeping him detained, but he was re-arrested immediately after his release and moved to a police station in Barpeta district, Assam. The arrest was made with new charges of obscenity and assault based on a complaint that he had used slang words and pushed a police officer when he was being transported to Kokrajhar. Mevani's lawyer stated the new charges were a later fabrication as there was no mention of this allegation during the 3 day custody or in the court hearing arguments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agarwala |first=Tora |date=26 April 2022 |title=Jignesh Mevani rearrested in Assam for 'assaulting' officials after securing bail in 'defamatory' tweet case |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/jignesh-mevani-rearrest-assam-bail-7886865/ |access-date=29 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Kirit Rathod, the convener of a rights organisation filed a petition and stated that his fundamental rights were being violated as he was not provided a copy of his FIR and was not allowed to meet his lawyer, leading to the chief secretaries of Gujarat and Assam being sent notices to present the facts of the case to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 2022 |title=SCs commission Rights violation during Mevani arrest: Notice to Assam, Gujarat |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/gandhinagar/scs-commission-rights-violation-during-mevani-arrest-notice-to-assam-gujarat-7889024/ |access-date=29 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Spontaneous protests against the arrest emerged in several places in Gujarat, occurring at two levels, with one composed of the Indian Nation Congress with Kanhaiya Kumar leading it and the other composed of ordinary Dalits, civil society organisations and other supporters of Mevani. Mevani's supporters have also stated that Gujarat Police has been threatening and harassing Mevani's family and associates since his arrest.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 April 2022 |title=Protests in Gujarat Against the Arrest of Jignesh Mevani |url=https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/9/21783/protests-in-gujarat-against-the-arrest-of--jignesh-mevani |access-date=29 April 2022 |website=The Citizen |language=en-US}}</ref>
Mevani was released on 30 April after a hearing at the district court stating that one would have to rewrite the entire criminal jurisprudence to the able to accept the case and that "converting our hard-earned democracy into a police state is simply unthinkable".<ref name=":28">{{Cite web |last=Choudhury |first=Ratnadip |date=30 April 2022 |editor-last=Achom |editor-first=Debanish |title="We Will Become Police State": Court Slams Assam Cops On Jignesh Mevani |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/manufactured-case-to-keep-jignesh-mevani-in-custody-longer-says-assam-court-2933316 |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=NDTV}}</ref> During the court's testimony, the officer contradicted the FIR and did not state that Mevani had used his hands to apply any physical force on the officer or uttered any obscene words, rather that he had spoken words in his language which were allegedly abuses that the officer did not understand.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karmarkar |first=Rahul |date=29 April 2022 |title=Jignesh Mevani gets bail from Assam court in 'falsely registered' case |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jignesh-mevani-gets-bail-in-assault-case/article65366669.ece |access-date=30 April 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The court reprimanded the police stating that they had manufactured a false case and misused the process to keep him detained for a longer period.<ref name=":28" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Agarwala |first=Tora |date=30 April 2022 |title=Granting Mevani bail, court raps Assam Police for 'abusing process of court and law' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/jignesh-mevani-bail-assault-case-gujarat-mla-7893687/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> The court also sent a request to the Guwahati High Court to take up a petition for police reforms to mandate officers to wear body cameras and install CCTVs in police vehicles, raising concerns that Assam was becoming a police state, citing frequent instances of police brutality and other excesses in the state.<ref name=":28" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 April 2022 |title=Case Against Jignesh Mevani of Assault on Woman Constable 'Manufactured': Court |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/gujarat-mla-jignesh-mevani-granted-bail-by-assam-court-in-police-assault-case |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=The Quint |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2022 election === Mevani was elected from Vadgam constituency again in 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election as an INC candidate defeating his nearest rival and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Manilal Vaghela.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ગુજરાત વિધાનસભા ચૂંટણી પરિણામઃ કોંગ્રેસના સૂપડા સાફ, માંડ 17 સીટ જીતી, આપ પાર્ટીનો 5 બેઠક પર વિજય |url=https://gujarati.indianexpress.com/gujarat/gujarat-election-result-2022-congress-winner-only-17-seats-aap-party-gets-5-seat/28453/ |access-date=8 December 2022 |website=Indian Express Gujarati |date=8 December 2022 |language=gu-IN}}</ref>
== Political positions == Mevani is the convener of the ''Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch'' (State Dalit Rights Platform),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dave|first=Hiral|date=27 February 2018|title=60 years on, Gujarat Dalits' wait for land is over|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/60-years-on-gujarat-dalits-wait-for-land-is-over/story-4N67EnUdwSvrW7vXMFcXaK.html|access-date=25 April 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> who identifies himself as a social liberal and Ambedkarite.<ref name=":22" /> He subscribes to the school of thought in Ambedkarism, propounded by Anand Teltumbde, according to which social transformation is not achievable by solely focusing on caste as it leads to repeated division within the movement and that it needs to forge a class unity among all marginalised groups.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|last=Ashraf|first=Ajaz|date=19 February 2018|title=Red vs blue: Why Jignesh Mevani's politics has spawned disquiet among Dalits|url=https://scroll.in/article/868753/red-vs-blue-why-jignesh-mevanis-politics-has-spawned-disquiet-among-dalits|access-date=25 April 2021|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> According to Mevani, there is a material foundation to caste beyond that of just being a sociocultural phenomenon,<ref name=":23">{{Cite web|last=Rajasekharan|first=Ilanhogvan|date=26 May 2017|title='You can't preach self-respect to empty stomachs'|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/you-cant-preach-selfrespect-to-empty-stomachs/article9688634.ece|access-date=25 April 2021|website=Frontline|publisher=The Hindu|language=en}}</ref> and that "for the annihilation of caste, struggle against caste and class both go hand in hand".<ref name=":20" />
Described as a part of a new emergent left wing in India, Mevani has formed direct associations with individuals such as Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, Gauri Lankesh, Kanhaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid, among others.<ref name=":16" /> On being called a communist, he states that he is yet to attain the same understanding that communists have to be considered one.<ref name=":22" />
=== Land reform === Mevani is a proponent of land reform in India.<ref name=":21" /><ref name=":23" /> One of his long standing demands, has been that of allotment and distribution of 5 acres of land to landless farming families.<ref name=":24">{{Cite web|last=Rajan|first=Monu|date=17 January 2018|title='Few struggles have been so progressive, so radical'|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/few-struggles-have-been-so-progressive-so-radical/article9046553.ece|access-date=25 April 2021|website=Business Line|language=en}}</ref> His interest in the question of land is considered to be unique in contemporary Dalit politics.<ref name=":16" /> Mevani states that "one can not preach self respect to empty stomachs" and that land reform is a vital tool which can bring about important structural changes for the annihilation of caste.<ref name=":21" />
=== Labour rights === Mevani is a vocal supporter of labour rights,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vincent|first=Pheroze L.|date=11 February 2019|title=In Gujarat, some stand up to be counted|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/shri-harivallabhdas-kalidas-arts-college-professor-hemant-shah-resigns-in-protest-after-jignesh-mevani-s-speech-is-cancelled/cid/1684276|access-date=25 April 2021|website=The Telegraph}}</ref> including the dismantling of contract employment. He has also advocated for the sanitation workers to be made permanent and offered benefits akin to other government jobs.<ref name=":24" />
=== Anti-fascism === Mevani is an advocate for unity between anti-fascist groups,<ref name=":19" /> and endorses the formation of a joint platform between all anti-Sangh Parivar and leftist groups.<ref name=":23" /> Identifying the Hindutva movement – consisting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, its Sangh Parivar affiliates and the Bharatiya Janata Party – as a movement for fascism in India,<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|date=19 March 2018|title=Jignesh Mevani: 'Against RSS, BJP wherever they are'|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jignesh-mevani-jind-rally-against-rss-bjp-wherever-they-are-5102540/|access-date=25 April 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> he states that it intends to reorient the state into a casteist and fascist system on the lines of the ''Manusmriti'' and the teachings of Hindutva ideologues like M. S. Golwalkar.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Salam|first=Ziya Us|date=12 April 2019|title='Five years have been oppressive, scary'|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/cover-story/article26641624.ece|access-date=25 April 2021|website=Frontline|publisher=The Hindu|language=en}}</ref> He has taken the stance that he intends to oppose them wherever they are as they threaten the Constitution of India.<ref name=":20" />
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mevani, Jignesh}} Category:Living people Category:Indian social reformers Category:Dalit activists Category:Dalit politicians Category:Dalit writers Category:Activists from Gujarat Category:1982 births Category:Journalists from Gujarat Category:21st-century Indian journalists Category:Writers from Ahmedabad Category:Gujarat University alumni Category:Gujarat MLAs 2017–2022 Category:Gujarat MLAs 2022–2027 Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat