Jignesh Mevani

Jignesh Mevani (Gujarati: જીગ્નેશ મેવાણી) is a social activist and lawyer from Gujarat, India; who has led a campaign by Dalits, considered 'lower castes' in the Indian caste hierarchy, in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

Mevani is born on 11 December 1982 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. His family is a native of Meu, a village in Mehsana district. He completed his schooling from Swastik Vidyalaya and Vishwa Vidyalay Madhaymik Shala in Ahmedabad. He got his Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from H.K Arts College, Ahmedabad with English literature. In 2004, He received Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. From 2004 to 2007, He served as Reporter in Abhiyan, a Gujarati magazine. In 2013, He got his Bachelor of Laws from D. T. Law College, Ahmedabad.

The Una incident, were a video of self-styled gau rakshaka, or "cow protectors" were seen to beat up four dalit youth, allegedly seen skinning a cow, sparked protests all over the social media. Under the banner of Una Attached Ladat Samiti, Jignesh Mevani along with others, called for a "Chalo Una" march culminating on August 15, the independence day of India. He started a Dalit Asmita Yatra from Ahmedabad to Una in Saurashtra, which was joined by thousands of dalits and Muslims. The Asmita yatra ended in the form of a mahasabha at Una on 15 August 2016. Media reports said some 20,000 Dalits, including dalit women, took a pledge to give up their traditional jobs of removing cow carcasses. The demand was that they be given land instead. The strong slogans, "You keep the cow's tail, Give us our land" became the clarion call for Dalit self-assertion. It is also to be noted that Jignesh Mevani has paved the way for a dialogues with the dalit and the left movements in 2016. With his demand for material upliftment through land distribution, Mevani has taken up a "traditional left" issue. Yet, by refusing to share the platform with CPI(M) in Kerala, Mevani also tries to represent the distrust the Ambedkar ite strand of dalit groups have towards the left politics.