Why these Dalits tried to kill themselves in India's Gujarat

Dalit groups told the BBC that while one of them died, the rest were saved due to timely intervention by their relatives and friends.

A recent video of the four Dalit men, believed to be tannery workers, being stripped and beaten with sticks, allegedly by the members of a Hindu hardline group in Gujarat's Una town, went viral and sparked massive protests by Dalit groups.

The men were assaulted as they were trying to skin a dead cow. Many Hindus consider cows sacred and the slaughter of the animal is banned in many Indian states.

Four of the men who tried to kill themselves in protest tell BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare what drove them to take such an extreme step.

I am a daily-wage worker. I earn 300-400 rupees ($4.46-5.95; £3.40-4.54) a day.

I attempted suicide by consuming acid. I did it for my community. We want justice. We don't get justice.

Steps like this will change the situation.

I am married and I have a seven year old child. I knew my actions would hurt the family but still I did it.

Images from the video had been circulating in my head. They hit our brothers. I wanted to show them we could do something.

If we do not react, they (high-caste people) will further dominate the Dalits.

I don't know how we will get justice, but we will.

He is 23 and is a daily-wage worker from Junagadh's Batwa village.

Four men from our village attempted suicide. He did it because he was livid with the incidents of atrocities against the Dalits.

Such incidents keep happening but no one acts against the culprits.

Atrocities on the Dalits are taking place across the state.

The video of this incident has had a psychological impact on him.

Sometimes he uses so much force it's difficult to control him. Doctors say he is fine but I don't think so. He repeats words, he slurs, he has no control over his actions.

Sometimes he begins to laugh and then breaks into a sob. He has become like someone who is mentally ill.

(BBC)