‘Delay in justice took his life’: 14 years on, a father’s grief endures in Gujarat

In the small town of Thangadh, Gujarat, a somber anniversary has passed for the families of three young Dalit men who died in police firing in 2012. The three men – Mehul Rathod, Prakash Parmar, and Pankaj Sumra – were allegedly killed by police in separate incidents following a clash between Dalits and non-Dalits at a local fair. Now, for the first time in almost a decade, only one of the fathers remains alive.

Valji Rathod, the father of Mehul Rathod, believes that the failure to secure justice for his son and the two other victims ultimately led to the deaths of the two fathers – Babubhai Parmar and Amarshi Sumra – who also took their own lives. The families see a connection between the tragedy of 2012 and the suicide of Amarshi Sumra on August 26 this year.

Vinu Bagda, the younger brother of Amarshi Sumra, described the heartache the fathers have endured: "Two families have been completely destroyed. I am the only one left now. I have no support any more." The two brothers met just four days before Amarshi died; he had told Vinu that he no longer had the strength to live. Despite Vinu's reassurances, Amarshi felt he had no reason to continue.