The 10-day long Dalit march for freedom for oppression that began on August 5 in Ahmedabad ended with Independence Day celebrations in Una, Gujarat. The Una Dalit Fight against Atrocities Committee on Monday decided to give 30 days to the central government to fulfil their demands. The convenor of the forum, Jignesh Mevani, said they will take up more aggressive courses of action if the BJP Administration does not concede their demands.

The videos above and below capture the celebrations of this other Independence that saw thousands of Dalits pledge never to pick up dead cattle again or face any form of oppression. And it is not just the extreme cases of cow vigilantes taking the law into their own hands, but also of the untouchability that is still being practised in everyday life from segregation in temples to upper caste election candidates campaigning for Dalit votes but refusing to eat in their homes.

As can be seen from the videos, a sizeable number of people turned up at the protest- march-cum-Independence-Day celebration. Electrifying slogans were chanted by the crowd and Mevani can be seen leading the pledge against picking up dead carcasses. Protest singers Vinay Mahajan and Charul Bharwada led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

Pictures of the event are also being shared on social media. Radhika Vemula, mother of Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, and the four men who were beaten by cow vigilantes in Una, unfurled the flag at the event. And speakers at the event spoke about the rising tide of Hinduism in the country and drew on BR Ambedkar's writings.