Dalit 'Coin Yatra' returns as government refuses permission to enter Delhi

A group of over 300 Dalits who had embarked on a 'Coin Yatra' from Ahmedabad to Delhi on August 1 with two truckloads of ₹1 coin to the value of ₹20 lakh and a 1,000 kg brass coin was stopped in its tracks at the Rajasthan-Haryana border by the police on Sunday night.

The 1,000-kilogram brass coin had the faces of Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha emblazoned on either side. The aim of the yatra was to send a message to the political class that untouchability exists even after 75 years of independence and donate the money towards the construction of the new Parliament complex. The brass coin was made from melting brass utensils donated by Dalit families.

The activists were shown a letter from the Home Ministry, stating that the yatra not be allowed to proceed, Dalit activist Martin Macwan, who helped organise the Yatra told The Hindu.

After being denied entry to Delhi, the group decided to return to Ahmedabad.

The yatra, launched by Dalit rights group, Navsarjan Trust, from its campus in Nani Devti village, also had a statue of Dr. Ambedkar and a sculpture of the Indian Constitution.

The contingent had members from 14 states. The word “untouchability” has been etched on the brass coin in 15 different languages and on the side with Dr Ambedkar’s image is engraved: “Will the 1947 dream of an untouchability-free India be a reality in 2047?”

Also Watch| Mohan Bhagwat tells Dalit seers: RSS working to remove untouchability, must stay patient