In a shocking incident emerging from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, yesterday May 9, it was reported that three Dalit men were allegedly tied up and made to wear footwear around their neck as they were paraded through a village. In the video, they looked visibly beaten up and assaulted. Chandrashekhar Azad, Chief of the Bhim Army, tweeted about the inhumane incident saying that in Yogi Adityanath’s rule, UP had become a burial ground for Dalits. He said that the Brahmin supremacists had repeated the horrific Una lynchings with this incident and that the lockdown shouldn’t be made a means to carry out such horrific crimes.

योगी का रामराज्य दलितों के लिए कब्रगाह है। यूपी के लखनऊ, पीजीआई थाना क्षेत्र में ब्राह्मणवादियों ने ऊना कांड को दोहराया है।

21वीं सदी में भी मनुस्मृति का दंभ पाले ये लोग सत्ता के नशे में मदमस्त हैं। घटना स्थल पर भीम आर्मी की टीम पहुंची है। याद रहे.. एक दिन यह सरकार भी बदलेगी। pic.twitter.com/eRd4XYF6GC

— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) June 9, 2020

He added that even in the 21st century there were people proud of the Manusmriti and were drunk on power, saying that Bhim Army had reached the site of the incident to take stock of the matter.

Today, June 10, Azad said tweeted that the culprits who had carried out this disgusting act had not yet been nabbed and warned that if there were no arrests within 24 hours, he would carry out a state-level agitation against the government.

लखनऊ में ब्राह्मणवादियों द्वारा तीन दलितों के साथ बर्बरता पूर्ण कृत्य पर अभी तक अपराधियों की गिरफ्तार नहीं हुई।

24 घण्टे के अंदर अगर गिरफ्तारी नहीं हुई तो इसके खिलाफ प्रदेश स्तरीय आंदोलन होगा। लॉकडाउन जुल्म का जरिया न बनाए सरकार। सरकार चेत ले। @lkopolicepic.twitter.com/eRd4XYF6GC

— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) June 10, 2020

Speaking of the incident, Kush Ambedkarwadi, Co-ordinator of the All India Bahujan Coordination Committee said that attacks on Dalits had reached a new high during Adityanath’s rule in UP, adding that people should come out in huge numbers to protest the incident.

यह दिल दहला देने वाली घटना है योगी राज में दलितों पर अत्याचार चरम पर चले गए है तुरन्त सड़कों पर उतरकर जनांदोलन करना चाहिए #DalitLivesMatter https://t.co/rC1AjjZDch

— कुश अम्बेडकरवादी (کش) (@Kush_voice) June 10, 2020

However, this is not the only shocking incident emerging from Uttar Pradesh. Nazir Ahmed, the first Muslim member appointed in the House of Lords, tweeted a video showing a woman, allegedly from the Dalit community being violently attacked by upper caste Hindus after she drew water from a well which is used by them.

Violent attack on a dalit girl in UP India who took water from a well used by upper cast Hindus. India is being shamed by such violence against minorities 👇👇👇 Indian Government must stop these attacks and prosecute these criminals. #DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/hdtLBvVuat

— Lord Nazir Ahmed (@nazir_lord) June 10, 2020

Earlier this month, it was reported that a 17-year-old boy was shot by upper caste boys in UP’s Amroha after he prayed at a Shiva temple frequented by members of the higher castes.

According to the 2018 report by the National Crime Records Bureau, titled ‘Crime in India’, Uttar Pradesh recorded 11,924 (28.8%) cases of crime against the Scheduled Castes. Counterview reported ex-IAS officer SR Darapuri saying that crime against Dalits in UP in 2018 stood at 27.9 percent. Out of these, 9,324 (were cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 239 (0.6%) cases of murder, 125 (0.3%) cases of attempt to murder, 285 (0.7%) of grievous hurt, 643 (1.6%) cases of assault on women and 1037 (2.5%) cases of criminal intimidation.

Out of these 2,024 cases from 2017 were pending investigation. In 2018, only 1,283 cases from the previous year were chargesheeted and 8,623 from 2018 were chargesheeted. The pendency percentage was 13.1 percent.

This goes to show that the reportage of such events, apart from the police action is very low. At a time when world over people are fighting for Black Lives Matter, will Indians wake up to the ground reality and realise the oppression of minorities and fight for Dalit lives?

Related:

Uttar Pradesh: Dalit teen allegedly shot by upper caste men for praying at village temple

Delhi HC directs action against police under SC/ST Act, for not registering FIR of Dalit man