Jignesh Mevani,
young Dalit leader and independent MLA from Vadgam, is likely to join the Congress on
Tuesday. The 38-year-old Gujarat politician is a regular at social movements
and is also the head of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). Mevani rose
to prominence in the wake of the Una floggings of four Dalit youngsters who
were suspected to have killed a cow. Jignesh Mevani won a resounding victory
from Vadgam constituency in Bansakatha district by over 18,000 votes over his
BJP rival Vijai Chakravarti, marking an important event in Gujarat’s history.

Also Read | Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mevani likely to join Congress today

Born in Ahmedabad
Gujarat in a lower middle-class family, Jignesh Mevani’s first love was
literature. The to-be Dalit leader pursued a bachelor’s degree in English
Literature from HK Arts College. In 2004, Mevani moved to Mumbai and started
working for a Gujrati news magazine. After three years of working with the
magazine, Mevani quit journalism to become an activist.

Jignesh Mevani’s started
working with Gujarat-based trade unions in 2008. Then, he worked with RTI
activist Bharatsinh Zala with whom he roamed around the rural ramparts studying
causes and issues leading to farmers’ suicides. Eventually, Mevani joined Jan
Sangharsh Manch (JSM), a civil rights organisation run by activist Mukul Sinha.

Mevani’s awakening
to real politic happened when he led a JSM survey in Ahmedabad and
Surendranagar to study the distribution of surplus government land to landless
Dalits under the provisions of Gujarat Agriculture Land Ceiling Act. The survey
found that land distribution was only on paper and actual physical transfer of
land had not taken place.

Thus began Jignesh
Mevani’s political struggle. He fought a long-drawn-out campaign over the land
allotment issue and even took a degree in law to understand the legality better
and help landless farmers in need of legal representation.

In 2016, seven
Dalit youngsters were reported to have been flogged by members of a cow
protection group. The assailants filmed the incident and shared it on social
media. Dalit activists and organisations came together to protest against the
heinous act. The Dalit ‘mahasabha’ led the “Chalo Una” march in Gujarat. It was
Jignesh Mevani’s participation and leadership in this movement that shot him to
national prominence.

On Tuesday,
Jignesh Mevani, who as an independent MLA with Congress’ support, joined the
Congress along with JNU’s student leader and former CPI member Kanhaiya Kumar. Jignesh
Mevani and Kanhaiya Kumar’s induction into the Congress is expected to give
India’s grand old party much-needed oxygen ahead of the upcoming assembly
elections in several states and the 2024 general elections.