In a quiet village of Telangana, the dawn of the New Year brought no celebration for Ramu. On December 31, as the world rejoiced, his life took a horrifying turn. Standing innocently outside his house, Ramu was accosted by two police officers. His only crime? Being in his own space, which seemed unacceptable to those wearing the uniform of the law. What began as a verbal altercation ended in a nightmarish assault? The bruises on his arms and legs told a story of pain and humiliation, but Ramu’s voice refused to be silenced. His courage to recount his ordeal sparked a fire of accountability.

A few hundred kilometres away in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul bore the brunt of a different kind of atrocity. Accused of coercing villagers into religious conversion, he was paraded through the streets, garlanded with shoes, and beaten. His cries for justice echoed through the land as FIRs were lodged against him and his tormentors alike. In the same state, Shivbadan, another Dalit, faced similar brutality for his faith. Accused of attempting conversions, he was assaulted by a mob who claimed to teach him a lesson. His dignity lay shattered, but his spirit remained unbroken as he sought justice through the legal system.

In Basti, Uttar Pradesh, the story turned tragic. A 17-year-old Dalit boy attended a birthday celebration, hoping for joy, but returned home scarred and humiliated. Stripped, beaten, and urinated upon by his peers, his dignity was stolen in the cruellest way possible. Unable to bear the shame, he ended his life, leaving his family grappling with grief and rage. Their fight for justice led them to stage a sit-in protest, forcing the authorities to act.

Farther south, in Tamil Nadu, a young Dalit boy found himself at the mercy of a man enraged over a trivial act—scribbling on a dusty car. Dragged into a house, he was beaten mercilessly, his cries drawing his mother to his rescue. But when she confronted the perpetrator, she too became a victim. The incident underscored the ingrained prejudice that sees even the smallest mistakes by Dalits as punishable offenses.

In Andhra Pradesh, the prestigious grounds of Sri Venkateswara University became the backdrop for an appalling assault. Dr. Changaiah, a respected Dalit professor, found himself at the receiving end of the wrath of those who resented his advocacy for social justice. The attack was a chilling reminder that even educational spaces are not immune to caste-based hatred.

Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit man named Mukesh Longre entered a police station, only to leave in a body bag. The police claimed it was suicide, but his family alleged foul play, accusing officers of demanding bribes and resorting to violence. His death was not just a tragedy but a damning indictment of a system meant to protect but often persecutes.

In Karnataka, a song celebrating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar became the reason for violence. Deepu, a young Dalit, played the song in a milk van, unaware that it would provoke the ire of caste Hindus. What followed was a brutal assault, leaving him with severe injuries. The incident laid bare the deep-seated intolerance that continues to plague the nation.

Through these incidents runs a thread of systemic failure – a justice system that falters, a society that turns a blind eye, and a nation that still struggles with the shadows of caste-based discrimination.

The complaint may be read here:

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The post From December 2024 Onwards: CJP raises alarm over escalating anti-Dalit atrocities to NCSC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A purported video of the incident went viral on November 27, (Wednesday), which shows multiple accused people repeatedly beating up Jatav despite he pleads them to stop.

As per a report in the Indian Express, the victim Narad Jatav visited his maternal uncle’s home in Indragiri village on Tuesday evening, unaware of the horrific fate that awaited him. A long-standing dispute over a pathway and bore well had been simmering, and it finally boiled over into violence. The attack, allegedly orchestrated by village sarpanch Padam Dhakad and his family, was sparked by an argument over a bore well pipeline that Narad had removed. The situation quickly escalated, with the accused surrounding Narad and brutally assaulting him. Despite witnessing the attack, the perpetrators showed no mercy, stopping only when Narad succumbed to his injuries.

Victim’s brother Shailesh claimed that, “The land over which there is a fight is in our name. It is registered in the name of my mother, aunt and other family members. That bore well was made under a partnership, but they encroached on it. We protested before the authorities but nobody listened to us.”

However, Police arrived at the scene after receiving reports of the assault and later transferred the body to the district medical college for a post-mortem examination.

FIR registered against 8 individuals

Superintendent of Police Aman Singh Rathore confirmed that a case has been registered against eight individuals, including the sarpanch, under charges of murder. Four people have been arrested so far, according to Indian Express.

After the incident came to light, MP State Congress president Jitu Patwari wrote on X, “On one hand, the whole country is celebrating Constitution Day, people are talking about the ideas of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and on the other hand, under BJP rule, a Dalit brother was beaten to death with sticks. Today, the BJP rule has become synonymous with exploitation and atrocities on Dalits. The state’s Home Minister is holidaying abroad, and the mafia flourishing under his protection.”

भाजपा की घोर विडंबना देखिए!

एक तरफ़ पूरा देश संविधान दिवस मना रहा है, बाबा साहेब अंबेडकर के विचारों की बातें हो रही हैं, और दूसरी तरफ़ भाजपा के राज में मेरे दलित भाई को लाठियों से पीट-पीटकर मौत के घाट उतार दिया गया।

भाजपा का राज आज दलितों के लिए शोषण और अत्याचार का पर्याय बन… pic.twitter.com/S2qrPecalF

— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) November 27, 2024

Moreover, while condemning the killing, former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote on X that, “A Dalit youth was beaten to death with sticks in Indergarh of Shivpuri. After this murder in broad daylight, it has been proved once again that Dalits are not safe in Madhya Pradesh.”

शिवपुरी के इंदरगढ़ में एक दलित युवक की लाठी-डंडों से पीट-पीटकर हत्या कर दी गई। दिनदहाड़े हुए इस हत्याकांड के बाद एक बार फिर साबित हो गया है कि मध्य प्रदेश में दलित वर्ग सुरक्षित नहीं है।

कोई दिन ऐसा नहीं जाता जिस दिन प्रदेश में दलितों पर अत्याचार की घटना नहीं होती हो।

भाजपा के…

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) November 27, 2024

The brutal killing of Dalit man Narad Jatav in Madhya Pradesh highlights the concern for caste-based violence across the country, particularly in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

Notably, Sabrang India in its previous report highlighted the rising violence with Dalits in Madhya Pradesh, The rising number of atrocities against Dalits, particularly in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, paints a disturbing picture of India’s ongoing struggle with caste-based violence. Despite the enactment of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the implementation of this crucial law remains weak, with high crime rates, low conviction rates, and inadequate special courts hindering justice. Uttar Pradesh continues to lead in the number of atrocities against Dalits, followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, underlining the urgent need for systemic change.

Related:

BJP-ruled states account for highest Dalit violence cases, UP on top, MP records highest reported crimes against STs

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Hate Watch: violence against Dalits fails to get attention

The post Dalit Man Lynched in MP: video shows Dalit Man beaten to death in Shivpuri district, Sarpanch, king held appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Meanwhile, the state of Madhya Pradesh is at the top, with 2979 cases of atrocities/violence against STs, Rajasthan being the second highest with 2498 and Odisha only accounts for 773 cases – in registration of cases of offences of atrocities against the scheduled tribe community.

The union ministry report also reveals that, 52,866 cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9,725 cases of Scheduled Tribes (STs) were registered in year 2022 under the PoA Act. The majority of these cases, a staggering 97.7%, were recorded in just 13 states, with BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh topping the list. In 2022, out of 51,656 cases registered under the PoA Act, Uttar Pradesh reported 12,287 cases accounting for 23.78% of the total 97.7 % cases of atrocities against Dalits in 2022 was reported in 13 states. Following this, Rajasthan reported second highest atrocities cases of Dalits with 8,651 cases (16.75%), while Madhya Pradesh had 7,732 cases, making up 14.97%. Other states with a significant number of cases include Bihar with 6509, Odisha with 2902 cases and Maharashtra with 2276 cases.

Moreover, as the table above shows thirteen States, cumulatively accounting for 97.7% (51656) of the total cases (52866) relating to offences of atrocities against members of SCs, registered under the PoA Act in conjunction with the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (repealed), during the year 2022. The report also provides the figures pertaining to the atrocities against the STs. The 13 states directly account for 98.91% (9627) of the total 9735 cases.

India’s disturbing trend of caste-based violence continues to escalate, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list of atrocities against Dalits and marginalised communities. According to the National Crime Record Bureau’s 2022 data, (same period as the ministry’s report) the state reported a staggering 15,368 cases, marking a 16% increase from 2021’s 13,146 cases. Rajasthan follows closely, ranking second with 8,752 registered cases of anti-Dalit violence. Madhya Pradesh retains its third position, accounting for 7,733 cases of atrocities against Dalits.

NCRB 2022 report shows 57,582 cases of Dalit Violence in 2022

The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) ‘Crime in India’ annual report for the year 2022 also highlighted that the total number of 57,582 cases were registered for committing crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs), an increase of 13.1% over 2021 (50,900 cases). The crime rate registered shown an increase from 25.3% in 2021 to 28.6% in 2022. In crime head-wise cases, highest number of cases (18,428, 32.0%) were registered under simple hurt followed by cases under Criminal Intimidation with 9.2% (5,274 cases) and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with 8.2% (4,703 cases).

Similarly, a total of 10,064 cases were registered for committing crime against Scheduled Tribes (STs), showing an increase of 14.3% over 2021 (8,802 cases). Anti-Dalit crime rate registered increased from 8.4% in 2021 to 9.6% in 2022. The NCRB figures further elaborated that in Crime head-wise cases, highest number of cases (2,826 cases, 28.1%) were registered under simple hurt (2,826 cases) followed by rape with 13.4% (1,347 cases) and assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty with 10.2% (1,022 cases).

The report highlighted that Uttar Pradesh (15,368), Rajasthan (8,752), Madhya Pradesh (7,733), and Bihar (6,509) reported the highest number of crimes against SCs. In UP, the number of crimes against SCs went up from 13146 in 2021 to 15368 in 2022 – an increase of 16%. The figure was 12,714 in 2020.

BJP-ruled UP tops in cases of Dalit atrocities

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, grapples with an alarming rise in Dalit atrocities. Uttar Pradesh ruled by the BJP for two terms under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has earned the unfortunate distinction of topping the list of states with the highest number of registered cases of atrocities against Dalits. Registration of 12,287 Dalits atrocities cases, consisting 23.78% of the total cases reported nationwide in year 2022.

Investigation done by police during 2022 in PoA cases

As the report states, 69,597 cases related to SCs and 12,417 of STs were brought forward by the Police. In which chargesheet had been filed in 49,852 cases and 77 cases transferred to another State/Agency. At investigation stage, 65 cases have been quashed/stayed by the court and Final Report has been filed in 12,113 due to reason of false case, mistake of fact/law, insufficient evidence etc.

However, at the end of 2022, 17,166 cases of SCs and 2,702 ST cases pending with the police, only 2 cases investigated u/s 157(1)(b) of CrPC during the year 2022. In these cases, it is seen that 60.38% cases relating to Scheduled Castes were charge sheeted in courts during 2022, in 14.78% SCs cases final report submitted (such as false, mistake of fact/law, true but insufficient evidence) during the 2022. Similarly, 63.38% cases related to SCs were charge sheeted during the year, with 14.71% of cases having final reports submitted, during the year 2022.

Notably, the disturbing trend in the report also revealed that the conviction rate under the Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act plummeted to 32.4% in 2022, a significant drop from 39.2% in 2020.

This downward spiral raises questions about the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies and judicial cognizance in protecting Dalits from caste-based violence despite stringent laws. Further compounding the issue is the scarcity of special courts designated to handle these cases. Out of 498 districts across 14 states, only 194 have established these crucial courts, hindering swift justice for victims, according to report.

Report flags lack of Exclusive Special Courts in India

As section 14 of the PoA Act, empowered the state government to establish Exclusive Special Court for one or more district for dealing with the atrocity and violence cases of scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for the purpose of providing a speedy trial in such cases, the number of Exclusive Special Courts are not adequate in India as out of 498 total districts across the country only 194 special courts have been established. The number of special courts in the country are not even half of the total districts within the country.

This shortfall created a significant obstacle in delivering justice to victims of caste-based violence and discrimination. As Exclusive Special Courts have powers to take direct cognizance of offences under the Act, the inadequacy of Exclusive Special Courts hampered the proper implementation of the PoA Act and led to delays and ineffectiveness in anti-Dalit violence cases. The report stressed that it is the duty of the State Government to establish adequate number of Courts to ensure that cases under the PoA Act are disposed of within a period of two months, as far as possible.

Special Police Stations for SCs and STs Complaints set up by five states only

As per the report, Special Police Stations for registration of complaints of offences against members of the SCs and STs have been set up in five States includes Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. In Bihar’s 38 districts, 40 Special Police Station has been established, in Chhattisgarh’s 28 districts, 27 Special Police Station, 24 in Jharkhand’s 24 districts, 3 in Kerala’s 14 districts and, 51 in Madhya Pradesh’s 52 districts. Despite almost equal establishment of Special Police Station in MP, the state positioned on third in accounting of atrocity cases against Dalits and the marginalised.

Dalit Atrocities soar in UP, 49,613 cases reported from 2018-2021

In March 2023, the Indian government informed Parliament that a staggering number of over 1.9 lakh cases of crimes against Dalits were recorded during the four-year period from 2018. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Uttar Pradesh alone has reported 49,613 cases of total atrocities and attacks on Dalits (11,924 in 2018, 11,829 in 2019, 12,714 in 2020, and 13,146 in 2021). Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra, shared this information in response to a question posed by BSP MP Girish Chandra, who inquired about mechanisms for monitoring such incidents.

NCRB data shows 57,582 cases of Dalit Violence in 2022

The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) ‘Crime in India’ report for the year 2022 also revealed that a total of 57,582 cases were registered for committing a crime against Scheduled Castes (SCs), an increase of 13.1% from 2021 (50,900 cases). The crime rate registered an increase from 25.3% in 2021 to 28.6% in 2022. The report highlighted that Uttar Pradesh (15,368), Rajasthan (8,752), Madhya Pradesh (7,733), and Bihar (6,509) reported the highest number of crimes against SCs. In UP, the number of crimes against SCs went up from 13146 in 2021 to 15368 in 2022 – an increase of 16%. The figure was 12,714 in 2020.

Most recent shocking instances of anti-Dalit violence in UP, Rajasthan and MP

Sabrang India and CJP have been diligently tracking the alarming rise of hate crimes against Dalits and other marginalised communities in India. The numerous incidents include violence, discrimination, and social exclusion of Dalits have been reported, highlighting the devastating reality of Dalit survival in the country.

Uttar Pradesh

BJP’s government in Uttar Pradesh has faced many severe criticisms for its inability to prevent Dalit violence in the state, despite being in power for two consecutive terms. The recent surge in anti-Dalit attacks has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of the Dalit community in the state. As the whole country witnessed the horrible tragic incidents of Hathras and Lakhimpur Kheri in year 2020, representing a distressing chapter in India’s ongoing struggle with anti-Dalits crimes and caste discrimination in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The tragic incident of Lakhimpur Kheri where two Dalit minor sisters were found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur district. The family alleged abduction, rape, and murder, later post-mortem reports confirmed that the Dalit sisters were raped before being murder. Similarly, the Hathras incident of rape, murder, and alleged systemic failures, has revealed the systematic exclusion of Social Justice against the victims belonged to Dalits and marginalised communities, especially Dalit women.

CJP’s recent report on Dalit atrocities in the state of Uttar Pradesh may be read here

On August 18, 2024, in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar, a 21-year-old gang-rape survivor ended her life after UP Police denied to lodge an FIR against three men for the crime and coerced her father into misreporting the complaint. Father of the victim revealed that his daughter had gone missing from their home on the evening of August 16. The father immediately went to the local police outpost to file an FIR but the Police refused to lodge an FIR and forced him to change the complaint. On August 18, the victim’s younger sister discovered her hanging in her room. The devastated father reported to police that his daughter had felt humiliated and abandoned due to the authorities lack of response.

On October 5, 2022, in Ambedkar Nagar, a student hung herself from the ceiling of her room. The father of the victim has reportedly stated that she had gone into “depression” after allegedly being kidnapped and gang-raped by two youth when she was on her way to school in the district’s Malipur area.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan reported the second highest number of Dalit atrocities nationwide, with 8,651 cases reported in 2022. The state’s disturbing trend of violence and discrimination against Dalits persists, despite laws aimed at protection. Brutal incidents, including killings, rapes, and social boycott highlight the need for urgent action and accountability.

On January 26, 2024, a 17 year old tenth-grade student, was busy with creating reels at Ajmer’s Ana Sagar Chaupaati, a popular place for tourists and visitors, when he was attacked. A group of young men approached him and demanded he stop taking videos. Following which, the men who have been identified as Pushpendra, Rohit, and Gokul, assaulted the boy brutally. They used sticks and forced him to kneel down, and made him utter the word “papa.” The torment did not end there; one of the perpetrators even urinated on the young victim and reportedly even forced him to drink liquor.

In Rajasthan’s Alwar, an eight-year-old Dalit boy was reportedly assaulted for touching a water bucket near a hand pump in a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. As per a report by the Indian Express, the police have stated that the incident occurred on the morning of March 30, 2024 when the boy, a fourth-grade student at the village’s government school, went to drink water from the hand pump on school grounds. As per the complaint, a man from a higher caste, who was filling the bucket with water at the Time, attacked the boy when he touched the bucket. The man refused to apologise and even shouted at the boy’s family, subjecting them to casteist abuse. A police complaint has been lodged in Ramgarh police station by the parents.

Another incident in Rajasthan’s Karauli district, in what seems to be a shocking incident, a magistrate reportedly asked a Dalit gang rape survivor to undress to inspect her injuries. The magistrate has been booked after the survivor lodged a complaint on March 30, 2024 accusing the magistrate of requesting this during a court session in Hindaun. The incident is being treated as an instance of outraging modesty, and charges have been filed under section 345 of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh reported the third highest number of Dalit atrocities nationwide was also faced criticism recently for curtailing welfare funds of the SC/STs and diverting the SC/ST welfare fund for the welfare of cows, museums and religious sites. As per a document reviewed by the HT, ₹252 crore has been allotted to cow welfare (Gau Samvardhan and Pashi Samvardhan), a total of ₹95.76 crore has been allocated from the SC/ST sub-plan. Madhya Pradesh’s decision to divert ₹95.76 crore from the SC/ST welfare fund to support cow welfare, museums, and religious sites was a shocking betrayal against marginalised communities. This move not only undermines the government’s duty to ensure social justice but also perpetuates the systemic oppression of Dalits. The cow welfare fund has increased from about ₹90 crore in the last year. Madhya Pradesh was the second state after Karnataka to divert funds from the SC/ST sub-plan for other schemes. Karnataka decided to take ₹14,000 crore from the sub-plan for funding its welfare scheme.

A Dalit youth in Mainpuri, while working on his own land, was attacked by a group of men. The authorities have registered a case involving assault and harassment against the Dalit community under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. As per reports, the police are now searching for the culprits who are currently absconding. The police have filed a complaint against one Munshi Khan and his associates.

In Morena, Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit sarpanch was reportedly tied to a tree and beaten. After the violence, the man was forced to flee his native village. The sarpanch of Koutharkalan panchayat has reportedly filed a complaint at the Porsa police station on Thursday. He had reportedly faced harassment over the past two years. The attackers had pressured him to leave his position and hand over his digital account details. However, after he refused to follow their demands, the goons allegedly took him to the outskirts of Koutharkalan, tied him to a tree, and brutally thrashed him, covered in a report by CJP.

However, before 2022, India registered 1,89,945 cases of crimes against the Dalit community during the four-year span (42,793 in 2018, 45,961 in 2019, 50,291 in 2020, and 50,900 in 2021). Out of all these cases, chargesheets were filed in 1,50,454 of these cases which resulted in only 27,754 convictions. These are records of only reported crimes having taken place, there is no way to account for cases that never reached law enforcement officers.

What is the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989?

While acknowledging the deep-rooted caste system and its role in perpetuating atrocities, the Parliament of India enacted the scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995 that come into force with effect from January 30, 1990. This special legislation enacted with aims to preventing commission of offences by persons other than Scheduled Castes and Schedules Tribes against members of SCs and STs and also provide for Special Courts for trial of such offences and for relief and rehabilitation of the victims of such offences. The PoA Act is extended to whole of India.

Ineffective implementation of PoA act still a challenge for Social Justice

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, remains ineffectively implemented, undermining social justice and defying Supreme Court directives. Despite landmark judgments and established special courts, rising atrocities and low conviction rates expose systemic apathy, compromising protection for marginalised communities.

Importantly, the Supreme Court of India in a landmark judgement of National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors. (2017) 2 SCC 432, where the bench led by then CJI T.S. Thakur and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao, directed the strict implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. This pivotal decision affirmed the findings of the Justice K. Punnaiah Commission (appointed by the Andhra Pradesh Govt in April, 2003 to inquire into the crimes suffered by SCs and STs) and the 6th Report of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

In the National Human Rights Commission’s ‘Open House Discussion’ on “Prevention of Atrocities and other forms of Discrimination against SC/ST Community: Challenges, Protection and Way Forward” held on June 23, 2023, the Director, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment also expressed its concern and pointed out that a predominant rise in cases can be seen after the amendments that widened the gambit of the Act when they were introduced. This requires strengthening of the administrative regime, especially the institutional mechanisms or the Police Protection Cells as mandated under the PoA Act, which is being looked after by the MoSJ&E. He further added that as of now, a total of 176 executive special courts have been constituted across the country in order to make the system more approachable for the victims.

The full report of the Ministry of Social Justice may be read here:

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Hate Watch: violence against Dalits fails to get attention

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The post BJP-ruled states account for highest Dalit violence cases, UP on top, MP records highest reported crimes against STs appeared first on SabrangIndia.

This report chronicles a disturbing series of anti-Dalit incidents that have occurred since July, shedding light on the pervasive nature of caste-based violence in contemporary India. These incidents, spanning from the southern state of Karnataka to the northern territories of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as eastern states like Bihar, reveal a grim pattern of violence and systemic oppression against individuals from the Dalit community. Victims range from children to the elderly, showing that no age group is spared from the cruelty rooted in caste prejudice. The atrocities include not only physical violence but also psychological torture, sexual assault, and social exclusion, underscoring the pervasive and multi-faceted nature of caste-based discrimination in contemporary India.

From Karnataka, in the southern part of the country, three incidents of murder and assault have highlighted the continuing dangers faced by Dalits even in everyday situations. The cases of a young Dalit woman poisoned to death following an inter-caste marriage and an elderly Dalit man beaten for seeking shelter during a rainstorm starkly illustrate the lethal consequences of caste hatred.

In the north, Uttar Pradesh has once again proven to be a hotbed of caste-based violence. The incidents there range from the rape of a minor Dalit girl, whose pleas for justice were ignored by the police, to the horrific act of forcing a Dalit boy to drink urine as a form of punishment. These crimes highlight a culture of impunity where caste-based violence is often dismissed or inadequately addressed by the authorities.

In Uttarakhand, Dalit families have been subjected to a social boycott, effectively cutting them off from essential resources, simply for failing to participate in a religious event due to illness. This act of collective punishment, sanctioned by the local panchayat, demonstrates the extent to which caste hierarchies are enforced in rural India, where non-compliance with oppressive traditions can lead to severe and life-threatening consequences.

In Bihar, the rape of a Dalit girl and the subsequent threats made by police to her family reveal a disturbing collusion between perpetrators and law enforcement. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, the torture of a Dalit man by police officers, who allegedly used casteist slurs and inflicted severe physical harm, points to the institutionalization of caste discrimination within the very systems meant to protect citizens.

These incidents, scattered across the diverse geographic and cultural landscape of India, reveal a grim reality: caste-based violence and discrimination continue to be a pervasive issue in the country. It is essential to be highlighted here that out of all the states from where these incidents have been report, only the state of Karnataka is being governed by the Congress party, rest of the states are ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party and their allies. Despite legal protections and decades of social reform movements, Dalits remain vulnerable to extreme forms of violence, and the perpetrators often act with impunity. This series of attacks, occurring within a period of two months, serves as a stark reminder that the fight against caste oppression is far from over and requires urgent, comprehensive action at both societal and governmental levels.

Caste-based murders and brutal assaults:

• July 23, 2024: In a shocking incident of caste-based violence, a 15-year-old Dalit boy from Shravasti district, Uttar Pradesh, was forcibly made to drink urine by three upper-caste youths. As per the report of the Times of India, the incident occurred on July 23, 2024, when the victim, who works as a technician setting up sound mixers and audio systems for events, was on his way home after work. The trio, identified as Kishan Tiwari, Dilip Mishra, and Satyam Tiwari, accosted the boy while in an inebriated state. According to the police, the incident was triggered by the boy’s family charging the accused extra for an audio system they had installed for a function. Enraged by this, Dilip Mishra urinated into a liquor bottle while Satyam and Kishan pinned the boy down, forcing the bottle into his mouth. The trio also thrashed the minor and filmed the entire incident, which later circulated on social media. The victim narrated the ordeal to his elder brother after reaching home, following which his family lodged a police complaint the next day. The police conducted a preliminary investigation and arrested the three accused based on eyewitness accounts and the viral video. SHO Mahimanath Upadhyay confirmed the arrests and stated that the incident stemmed from a prior dispute involving a DJ service run by the victim’s family.

• August 18, 2024: In Sanganal village, Yalaburga taluk of Karnataka’s Koppal district, a 26-year-old Dalit man named Yamanurswamy Bandiha was brutally stabbed to death by a barber at a local salon. According to a report of the Observer Post, the incident unfolded when Yamanurswamy visited the salon for a haircut, and the salon owner, Mudakappa Hadapad, demanded payment before the service. Despite assurances from Yamanurswamy, Mudakappa made incendiary remarks based on his caste, escalating the argument. In a fit of rage, Mudakappa stabbed Yamanurswamy with a pair of scissors. The victim was rushed to a government hospital, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries. The Yelburga police registered a case under Section 193 (murder) of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leading to the arrest of the accused. Local Dalits have demanded justice for the victim’s family, and the District Social Welfare Department has been informed to provide compensation.

• September 3, 2024: In Vithalapura village of Gangavathi taluk, Karnataka, a 21-year-old Dalit woman named Mariamma from the Madiga community was allegedly poisoned to death following her inter-caste marriage. Mariamma had married Hanumayya, a youth from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, in April 2023 after a two-year relationship. However, her father has accused 13 members of Hanumayya’s family of harassing Mariamma, subjecting her to severe caste-based discrimination and dowry demands. As per the report of the Observer Post, the father of the victim alleged that she was physically assaulted before being poisoned by her in-laws. Initially, her husband’s family claimed she had ingested poison while working on the farm, but Mariamma’s father suspected foul play and filed a complaint with the Gangavathi police. The authorities have arrested two individuals for questioning, and a case has been registered. Mariamma’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination as investigations continue.

• September 4, 2024: In a disturbing incident in Kokkada, Belthangady of Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, a 67-year-old Dalit elder named Mancha Mogera was viciously assaulted by a shopkeeper named Ramanna Gowda. The attack occurred when Mogera sought shelter from heavy rain and asked to rest near Gowda’s shop. Instead of offering help, Gowda hurled casteist slurs at Mogera and attacked him with a wooden pole, striking him on the head and back. Mogera was immediately rushed to Kokkada Government Hospital for first aid and later transferred to Belthangady Government Hospital for further treatment. The Dharmasthala police have recorded Mogera’s statement and initiated an investigation into the incident.

In #Karnataka‘s #DakshinaKannada, a 67-year-old #Dalit elder, Mancha Mogera, was brutally assaulted by a shopkeeper in #Kokkada, #Belthangady. The incident occurred when Mogera, seeking shelter from heavy rain, asked to rest near the shop.

The accused, identified as Ramanna… pic.twitter.com/qkWDEEe2tr

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) September 4, 2024

Sexual Violence and Police Complicity:

• August 30, 2024: In another chilling case from Bihar’s Gaya district, a Dalit girl was raped by two men, Ranjit and Sachin, at her home. Despite the gravity of the crime, when the victim’s family attempted to file an FIR, the police allegedly threatened them with imprisonment if they pursued the case. 

In #Bihar‘s #Gaya, a #Dalit girl was raped by Ranjit and Sachin at her home.

One of the accused was caught and taken to police station for filing FIR.

The police threatened the victim and her family saying that they might be jailed if FIR was filed. pic.twitter.com/AQdZdGoNYX

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) August 29, 2024

• September 2, 2024: The scourge of sexual violence against Dalit women remains rampant, with authorities often complicit in delaying justice. In Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district, a 16-year-old Dalit girl was kidnapped and raped by a businessman’s son. The victim was reportedly made to wait at the police station for over 10 hours, where officers pressured her into a compromise rather than taking swift action against the perpetrator.

#Horrific On 22nd August, in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, a businessman’s son kidnapped a 16-year-old Dalit girl and raped her. The victim said that she sat in the police station for 10 hours. Instead of taking action, the police forced a compromise…#DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/XgIoLU6fAt

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) September 2, 2024

Social Boycotts and Discrimination:

• July 17, 2024: On the night of July 17, a 24-year-old Dalit youth named Ajay Parmar was violently assaulted by a group of upper-caste men in Sayebapur village, Himatnagar taluka, Sabarkantha district, North Gujarat. The incident allegedly stemmed from Parmar’s Instagram profile picture, which featured him wearing a traditional headgear and sunglasses. According to the FIR filed on July 18, Parmar, who works as an auto rickshaw driver, was confronted by two men from the Darbar community, who identify themselves as Kshatriyas, near the Navanagar bus stand. The men reportedly objected to Parmar’s display picture and demanded that he remove it. As per the report of Deccan Herald, the confrontation quickly escalated into physical violence as the men beat him. Parmar managed to escape and left his auto rickshaw behind. He was later informed by a friend that a group of 20-25 men from the Darbar community were waiting to attack him. Fearing for his life, Parmar called his father and brother for help. The group subsequently confronted Parmar and his family, slapping and abusing them. Despite calling the police, help arrived only after an hour. Parmar, the only Dalit resident in a village predominantly inhabited by the Darbar community, detailed the harassment and violence he endured. The FIR names four accused: Kirpalsinh Rathod, Manusinh Rathod, his son Hitendrasinh Rathod, and Shukalsinh Rathod. Police Sub-Inspector Sanjay Goswami from the Himatnagar rural police station spoke to the Deccan Herald and confirmed that the accused have fled the village and that an investigation is underway.

• July 18, 2024: In Subhai village of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, Dalit families faced a severe social boycott after a member of their community, Pushkar Lal, could not attend a religious event due to illness. Traditionally, Dalit families in the village are responsible for playing the drum at various social, cultural, and religious festivals. Following Pushkar Lal’s absence, the local panchayat announced a boycott against all Scheduled Caste (SC) families. As per the Observer Pots, this boycott imposed harsh restrictions, barring them from using forest and water resources, buying essentials from shops, commuting in vehicles, and even visiting temples. A video surfaced showing a panchayat member threatening villagers with similar consequences if they did not comply with the boycott order. In response, the affected families lodged a complaint at the Joshimath Police Station, specifically naming Ramkrishna Khandwal and Yashvir Singh as responsible for orchestrating the boycott.
  
• August 17, 2024: In KV Kuppam taluk, Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, a Kaliamman temple near Gemmankuppam village was demolished by a group of caste Hindus, following a dispute over the exclusion of Dalits from the temple’s Aadi month festivities. As reported by the Observer Post, the dispute began when Dalits, who make up roughly 50% of the village population, were barred from participating in the festivities scheduled for August 2. Despite being under police protection, the temple was demolished using earthmovers, and the idol was removed on August 6. The Dalits alleged that the demolition was supported by the then jurisdictional DSP Ravichandran, although the DSP denied these allegations, stating that the case had been handed over to the revenue department. The caste Hindus, including members of the Vanniyar, Yadav, Chettiar, and Naidu communities, argued that the temple was built solely by a caste Hindu, D Loganathan, who claimed that Goddess Kaliamman instructed him in a dream to exclude Dalits from the festivities. The demolition has sparked controversy and legal action, with Gudiyatham revenue officials scheduling peace committee meetings to address the issue.

Violence in Educational and Public Spaces:

• July 21, 2024: Anish Kumar, a 24-year-old Dalit youth, was brutally attacked by an armed gang in Malagalu, Kanakapura, Karnataka, on July 21, 2024. The assailants severed Anish’s left hand in a shocking act of violence. The attack stemmed from an argument between Anish and members of a different community earlier that day. The trouble began when a group of youths, including Anish, were standing near Javanammanadoddi Cheenarakuppe Circle and chatting. A group of upper-caste individuals passing by questioned the youths about their presence there, leading to a heated argument. Though the argument initially deescalated, the accused returned two hours later armed with lethal weapons and attacked Anish and others who were present. In the ensuing violence, several people, including three women, sustained severe injuries and were rushed to a hospital. Anish’s left hand was severed during the attack. The police registered a case against the accused, identified as Harsha and six others, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to prevent further violence, and senior police officials visited the hospital to speak with the victims.

An armed gang allegedly severed the left hand of Anish Kumar, belonging to a #Dalit community, sitting outside his house on Siddappaji Temple Road in #Malagalu, #Kanakapura town near #Bengaluru. The attack was the outcome of an argument. Several others who came to his rescue were… pic.twitter.com/0QhlAJMb6b

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 23, 2024

• July 23, 2024: The violence extends to educational institutions, where Dalit students are subjected to humiliating and abusive treatment. In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit minor was brutally beaten by a schoolteacher after refusing to pluck fruits for the teacher. 

A #Dalit minor boy brutally beaten by a school teacher. His mistake was that he refused to pluck lemons and Jamuns from the tree in the school for the teacher. The incident happened in #Bareilly district of #UttarPradesh. pic.twitter.com/ZgKnpoaKrp

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 23, 2024

• July 24, 2024: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been engulfed in controversy following the discovery of objectionable graffiti at Kaveri Hostel. The slogans, which included “Chamar Quit India,” “Dalit Quit India,” “Brahmin-Bania Zindabad,” and “Hindu-RSS Zindabad,” have incited widespread protests and condemnation among the student body. Dhananjay, President of the JNU Students Union (JNUSU), strongly condemned the incident, emphasizing the university’s commitment to equality and denouncing the divisive nature of the slogans. “We strongly oppose such divisive actions,” he asserted. In response to the outcry, university officials have ordered the immediate removal of the graffiti and are taking steps to prevent future incidents. The administration is considering additional security measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras in the hostel to enhance surveillance and security.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (#JNU) is facing controversy after discovering objectionable slogans, including ‘Chamar Quit India’, ‘Dalit Quit India’, ‘Brahmin-Bania Zindabad’, and ‘Hindu-RSS Zindabad’, on the walls of #KaveriHostel. The incident has sparked protests and… pic.twitter.com/YHgX41Slu0

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 24, 2024

• July 25, 2024: A Dalit woman in Sikauhula village of Banda district, Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly assaulted and subjected to caste-based slurs by a farmer and his son on July 25, 2024. AS per the Observer Post, the incident occurred when the 36-year-old woman, who works as an agricultural labourer, attempted to collect water from the family’s tube well in Sikauhula village. The accused, Rajendra Singh and his son Jitendra Pratap Singh, reportedly objected to the woman using their tubewell and proceeded to assault her while hurling casteist slurs. The woman managed to escape and reported the incident to the local police station. An FIR was subsequently registered under various sections of the BNS and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Moni Nishad, the Station House Officer at Jaspura police station, confirmed that the accused had been identified but no arrests had been made at the time. The police are continuing their investigation into the incident.
• July 29, 2024: A Dalit groom and several guests were attacked during a wedding in Madakarimupr village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, after upper-caste men objected to the groom mounting a horse, a traditional practice. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Khatauli Police Station. According to reports, the altercation began when the groom’s party played “casteist” songs during the horse-mounting ceremony. However, the groom’s side claims that the upper-caste individuals were responsible for the provocation. The attack on the groom and his guests was violent, with several people being injured. The situation quickly escalated, and the police had to intervene to restore order. An FIR was lodged against 15-20 men under various sections of the IPC and SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Local authorities have assured the Dalit community that strict action will be taken against those responsible. The incident has once again highlighted the deep-rooted caste-based discrimination and violence that persists in rural parts of India.

Three people from the #Dalit community were injured during a wedding clash in #Madakarimupr village under #Khatauli Police Station jurisdiction, #Muzaffarnagar on Monday. The clash allegedly occurred when some upper-caste men objected to the groom mounting a horse, a traditional… pic.twitter.com/KGtyDja70j

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 16, 2024

• August 8, 2024: In another disturbing incident, a six-year-old Dalit child, a class one student, was reportedly forced to clean the school toilet by his teachers and later found locked in the school classroom after hours in Uttar Pradesh. As per the report of the Observer’s Post, the child’s mother filed a police complaint, alleging that the teachers, Principal Sandhya Jain and class teacher Ravita Rani, harboured prejudice against Dalit children, leading to repeated mistreatment of her son. When her son did not return home, she found him locked in the classroom after hearing his cries. Villagers and family members called the principal, and the classroom was eventually unlocked by Rani’s husband. The mother’s allegations indicate a pattern of discrimination and neglect. In response, Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Sandeep Kumar announced that Principal Sandhya Jain had been suspended, and teacher Ravita Rani received an adverse entry in her service record. A two-member committee was appointed to investigate the incident, with a report expected within three days. The police are currently investigating the matter.

Brutal Attacks by Police:

• July 20, 2024: Rishipal, a Dalit man from Bhawarki Jadid village in Uttar Pradesh, has alleged that he was brutally tortured by police officers at the Dakiya Chowki police station after a domestic dispute with his wife. According to Rishipal, the ordeal began when he had an argument with his wife on July 20, 2024. In response, she went to the local police station to file a complaint. Later that day, around 5 PM, two constables, Jaidev Singh and Amit Kumar, came to his house and took him to the police station. Rishipal claims that around 1 AM, the officers, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, began questioning him about his caste. They then proceeded to subject him to brutal beatings, using fists, kicks, and sticks. He was reportedly injured in his private parts and fainted during the assault. When he regained consciousness, the officers forced him to massage their hands and feet throughout the night.

The following morning, Rishipal was released and returned home, where he showed his injuries to his wife. The incident quickly gained attention after a video of his injuries went viral on social media, sparking outrage within the Dalit community. In response to the protests, a case was filed against the two constables, and they, along with the chowki in-charge, were suspended. Bhim Army District President Sunil Sagar and other activists condemned the incident, demanding strict action against the police officers involved. CO Sangam Kumar confirmed that a medical examination of Rishipal had been conducted, and SP Vidya Sagar Mishra assured that the suspended officers would face a thorough investigation. 

उत्तर प्रदेश : जिला रामपुर में पुलिस ने दलित ऋषिपाल को चौकी में बंद करके थर्ड डिग्री दी। पत्नी ने उसकी शिकायत की थी। 2 पुलिसकर्मी जयदेव सिंह और अमित कुमार पर FIR दर्ज, दोनों सस्पेंड हुए।

दोनों पुलिसकर्मियों ने कहा था– “साले चमट्टे आज तू देख, ठाकुर के हाथ से कैसे पिटाई होती है” pic.twitter.com/9LV3rbNzXe

— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) July 23, 2024

• July 21, 2024: Rohit Valmiki, a Dalit sanitary worker in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, alleged that he was beaten by police personnel after overtaking their official vehicles. While on his way home on a motorcycle, Valmiki overtook vehicles belonging to the police and electricity departments. Following this, he claimed that some policemen accused him of reckless driving, verbally abused him, and took him to the police station where he was physically assaulted. Valmiki’s brother corroborated his account, stating that Rohit was indeed taken to the police station and thrashed by the officers. In response to the allegations, Superintendent of Police Agam Jain announced that the Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) is conducting an investigation. Jain assured that strict action would be taken after the investigation is completed.

A #Dalit sanitary worker, Rohit Valmiki, has alleged that he was beaten by #MPPolice personnel in #MadhyaPradesh’s #Khajuraho town for overtaking their official vehicles.

Rohit Valmiki claimed that while heading home on his motorcycle on July 21, he overtook vehicles belonging… pic.twitter.com/s6BmGfqwM4

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 24, 2024

• July 25, 2024: In a shocking incident, a Dalit mother and her minor son were brutally beaten by police officials inside the Katni GRP police station in Madhya Pradesh on July 25, 2024. The details of the incident were shared on social media, where the mother alleged that the police had physically assaulted her and her son within the police station premises. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice from various activists and members of the Dalit community. The reasons behind the assault have not been made clear, but the brutality of the act has led to widespread condemnation. The police have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident, and demands for a thorough investigation are growing louder.

#Horrific A shocking incident has emerged from Katni GRP police station in Madhya Pradesh, where a Dalit mother and her minor son were brutally beaten up by police officials inside the police station itself. Manuwadi media remains silent as usual…#DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/sRoAyleKzo

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) August 28, 2024

No equality and justice for Dalits?

The pervasive nature of these atrocities—ranging from brutal assaults and forced social boycotts to systemic abuse by law enforcement—reveals a grim reality where the promise of constitutional safeguards remains largely unfulfilled for marginalized communities. The horrific incidents reported across various states, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, reflect a deeply rooted social malaise that continues to undermine the dignity and rights of Dalits.

Addressing this crisis requires more than mere acknowledgment; it demands a proactive and sustained commitment to reform. Immediate measures should include rigorous enforcement of existing laws, transparent investigations, and accountability for perpetrators, especially those in positions of power. Furthermore, there must be a societal shift towards recognizing and confronting caste-based discrimination in all its forms. Only through a united front, combining legal, social, and educational reforms, can India hope to dismantle the entrenched caste hierarchies that perpetuate such egregious violations of human rights and ensure that every citizen, regardless of caste, can live with dignity, equality and safety.

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The post Escalating anti-Dalit violence in India: A disturbing surge of brutality and discrimination since July 2024 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Alwar, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan’s Alwar, an eight-year-old Dalit boy was reportedly assaulted for touching a water bucket near a hand pump in a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. As per a report by the Indian Express, the police have stated that the incident occurred on the morning of March 30 when the boy, a fourth-grade student at the village’s government school, went to drink water from the hand pump on school grounds. As per the complaint, a man from a higher caste, who was filling the bucket with water at the time, attacked the boy when he touched the bucket. The man refused to apologise and even shouted at the boy’s family, subjecting them to casteist abuse. A police complaint has been lodged in Ramgarh police station by the parents.

Amethi, Uttar Pradesh

A cases of assault against Dalit people have taken place in UP’s Amethi. The first was against Sunil Kumar Harijan who had been unpaid by his employer for over two months of work. As per a report in The Mooknayak, he is a Dalit youth from Mattepur village in Mohanganj, who does ironwork and had been working for contractor Azhar in Ahmedabad since 2020.  However, before Holi, Sunil returned home and asked Azhar for Rs 30,000 in unpaid wages for two months of work. Azhar refused, claiming dissatisfaction with Sunil’s work. When Sunil pressed on regarding his unpaid wages, Azhar threatened him and subjected him casteist abuses. Following this, Mooknayak reports that he has filed a police complaint under sections 504, 506, 507, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of the Indian Penal Code.

Karauli, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan’s Karauli district, in what seems to be a shocking incident, a magistrate reportedly asked a Dalit gang rape survivor to undress to inspect her injuries. The magistrate has been booked after the survivor lodged a complaint on March 30, accusing the magistrate of requesting this during a court session in Hindaun. The incident is being treated as an instance of outraging modesty, and charges have been filed under section 345 of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to NDTV, Deputy SP (ST-SC) cell Mina Meena stated, “She refused to strip and after recording the statement in the court on March 30, she registered a complaint against the magistrate.” A case has been registered with Kotwali Police Station under charges of outraging modesty on March 27.

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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported atrocities and crimes against Scheduled Castes witnessed a 1.2% increase in 2021, totalling 50,900 cases, as compared to 50,291 in 2020. Uttar Pradesh emerged with the larger numbers of reported crimes, reporting the highest number of cases at 13,146, constituting 25.82% of the total incidents. Bihar reveals a significant 11.4% share, amounting to 5,842 cases, while other states like Rajasthan form about 14.7%, Madhya Pradesh 14.1% of the total crimes. What is worse is that combined cases from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar alone account for 37.22% of all reported atrocities against the community.

However, according to the Human Rights Watch, these alarming figures according to reports only scratch the surface, as it has been reported that Dalits are often apprehensive to report crimes, due to reported lack of police support. This suggests that the true extent of abuses against them is likely far higher.

Jehanabad, Bihar

In Jehanabad district in Bihar, a Dalit youth named Akash Kumar was prevented from going in a local temple. The matter escalated when Kumar voiced his protest, resulting in an alleged physical assault against him. The aggrieved party has lodged an FIR against two people, one of who is a member of the temple committee, namely Dayanand Keshari and his son.

According to The Mooknayak, the FIR has revealed that the duo not only prevented him from entering the temple but also subjected him to physical violence and employed derogatory caste-based language. The local law enforcement authorities have duly commenced an investigation into the case to ascertain the veracity of the claims.

While narrating the sequence of events, Akash Kumar stated that the incident transpired on a Friday, implicating Dayanand Keshari and his son in the purported assault. Subsequently, in response to Kumar’s FIR, law enforcement officials, led by Thana Adhyaksh Ajit Kumar, acknowledged the initiation of a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.

On the hand, the accused vehemently reject the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and fuelled by personal animosity. Dayanand Keshari, when confronted with the accusations, offered an alternative perspective, asserting that on the day of the incident, a group of youth, allegedly under the influence of intoxicants, were occupying the temple premises. Keshari claimed to have urged them to respect the sanctity of the temple, leading to heightened tensions and ultimately another individual to file a case against him. 

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

A harrowing incident unfolded in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain where three Dalit women were brutally assaulted by members of the Gurjar community. Shedding light on the episode, a police official revealed that the horrifying attack took place in a field, where the women were subjected to violence by people from the Gurjar community, the Jagaran has reported.

The shocking episode had garnered widespread attention after the video capturing the assault went viral on social media platforms. The victims have lodged a formal complaint at the local police station.

Bhim Singh Parihar, the officer in charge of the Makdon police station, has stated that the issue took place when goats owned by Gurjar community members encroached upon another person’s field. This led to an argument between the two parties which quickly turned into the assault.

The video that went viral shows three-four men ruthlessly wielding sticks against the women. The accused in the video have been Identified as Jagdish Gurjar, Ajay Gurjar, Hukum Singh Gurjar, and Badrilal Gurjar. A case has been registered against the accused under the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Authorities have confirmed that all the accused are currently at large. The police have stated that the victims have been taken to the district hospital for swift medical treatment and their condition is stable. 

Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Two Dalit prisoners at Sultanpur District Jail in Uttar Pradesh were found dead, hanged by bedsheets in their cells, according to The Mooknayak. The bodies of two Dalit prisoners, Kariya alias Vijay Pasi and Manoj Raidas, were recovered from the prison. They were accused in the murder of poultry farm owner Om Prakash Yadav and were discovered hanging in their barrack on June 21. The case was initially considered a case of suicide but recent magisterial investigation has revealed foul play. The jail officials had claimed that depression had led to suicides. However, contrary to jail officials’ claims of depression-induced suicides, the post-mortem report raised alarming questions. After investigating statements from the medical panel, the investigating officer has discovered that both prisoners had died of poison before June 21. The investigation further reveals that two had not had food for about 12 hours before their death.

The Mooknayak further reports that fellow inmates failed to corroborate the jail administrations’ narrative of suicide. The inmates stated that the victims were in good spirits and had engaged in normal, jovial conversation. Further investigation has revealed that the two had not had any bedsheet either, and raised the question how did they come upon the bedsheet with which they were found hanged.

Former IPS and National President of Adhikar Sena, Amitabh Thakur, has called for immediate FIRs against implicated officers. He has asked for a CID-CB investigation for the case to ensure accountability and fair investigation.

Bilgram, Uttar Pradesh

According to reports, a 42-year-old Dalit man was hacked to death in the Bilgram area of Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh. The assailant, identified as Guddu Rathore, allegedly hacked Saligram to death with a sharp-edged weapon. Locals state that the accused reportedly fled the spot the minute the incident took place. Police has detailed that the motivation for murder was a minor dispute between the two. The family has alleged it was because Guddu’s cattle strayed in Salgram’s area, however the matter had been reportedly sorted and resolved with intervention by locals. The police have initiated a case after the family lodged a complaint. The body has been sent for post mortem examination.

Kaimur, Bihar

Two young Dalit girls were beaten for plucking leaves from a farmer’s plant; one of them, Sundari Kumar from class 8 died of her injuries, according to the Deccan Herald. The gruesome episode has ignited tension in the area. The incident occurred in Hata village which falls under the Chainpur police station limits.

The victim Sundari was a 14-year-old Class 8 student who was with her cousin when she reportedly tried to pluck some gram leaves from a neighbouring farm. The farm’s owner Ramadhar Yadav, and his son Gaurav reportedly caught the girls following which the girls were beaten mercilessly with bamboo sticks. The police are currently searching for the four absconding individuals involved. A case has been registered against them.

Local CPI-ML leader Vijay Singh Yadav visited the grieving family and talked about the urgent need to arrest the culprits and also demanded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the victim’s family.

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The post Anti-Dalit incidents in December: 14-year-old killed for plucking gram leaves appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Sanjeev Sonpimpare, an artist based in Mumbai, reflects on the bias in reportage about the Dalit community and observes what big media tactically refuses to cover. “Atrocities against Dalits are happening every day, everyone is aware about this. Every person from the community experiences it. What is worse is the mainstream media’s response, which is completely biased.  For instance, it will not cover Bahujan’s events and celebrations, such as the Mahaparinirwan Diwas (on December 6), or Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14. My work as an artist is based on Ambedkarite thought and ideology. Through my work, I deal with social issues surrounding caste and capitalism, basic rights, and social justice.”

Similarly, it seems that India’s esteemed institutes are also not immune or completely sensitised from preventing violence against Dalits. Jyoti, name changed, is a young student from a government university reflects on these questions, and says “Caste system pretty much exists in all spaces, even the so called political and progressive spaces. For instance, I know of a student at my university, a doctoral student, who was discriminated against for drinking water in the hostel. She was not allowed to use the water cooler. Even a simple, fundamental part of life, such as drinking water becomes laden with caste. Even Babasaheb was prevented from drinking water…” When asked about everyday violence, “yes, this is an issue. Our social media are saturated with everyday violence, especially against Dalit women; it is an endless barrage of statistics, that is all that one sees in the media, endless violence against Dalit bodies. It is exasperating and can be overwhelming. Furthermore, what is interesting is that the media often prefers to focus on these violent incidents as well and reduces Dalits to that, as if Dalit persons are defined by nothing but violence. This is a propaganda, I feel, which is casteist in nature.”

Thus, from Jyoti’s narratives we can see that caste continues to function in the everyday with taboos, based on notions of purity and pollution, as it is seamlessly woven in everyday practices from universities to media houses. Structural barriers provided by caste not only impede access to justice but also exacerbate existing social and economic disparities, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage for Dalit communities.

A survey conducted by the SC/ST Students’ Cell at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was reported by the Indian Express, highlights caste as a “central reason” behind the mental health challenges faced by students from reserved categories on campus. The survey was conducted in June of 2022 and revealed that nearly one-fourth of the SC/ST students involved experienced mental health issues. Additionally, 7.5% of them grappled with “acute mental health problems and exhibited a tendency for self-harm.”

How do intersectional identities such as gender and caste interact? CJP spoke to an Uttar Pradesh based activist named Mamta who has been working as an activist for many years. Prior to this she worked as a teacher for several years, too. She proudly states that now she is known as a Dalit mahila activist. Talking about her work, she narrates, “I take up issues of people who are often from the most vulnerable of social groups.” Discussing the particular vulnerability women from marginalised communities face, she says, “If your economic condition is not great you will face even more issues and problems.” Many of these affected people are women, who face issues at home with domestic violence and other issues. Many of these women,” she says, “are forced to work jobs day in and out and in that process, their children end up alone and neglected at home.” On asked how she herself managed having a family while at the same time working as an activist,  “It is very difficult. I am often told that I am on my own. Especially if there are emergency cases where I may have to venture out at night after receiving a call, I am told that I have chosen this so I have to do this on my own.”  Life is not easy for Mamta who, in her own words, argues that she faces the double burden of gender and caste as she navigates her life.

Structural violence against Dalit people and other marginalised groups puts them at vulnerable spots where they are prone to violence. CJP Mr Sumedh Jadhav, a Maharashtra based anti-caste activist and trade unionist who has worked with the Dalit Panthers for over 50 years, delved into the vision and ideals that have centred, talked about Maharashtra has been plagued with Casteism, from riots and violence in every village to large scale anti-Dalit violence in 1974.

The Dalit Panthers was a revolutionary social and political movement which emerged in Maharashtra. In 1974, Mumbai saw the Worli Riots where those who attended bore the brunt of police repression in assaulting Dalits. On January 10, 1974, during a protest rally, a stone was flung from a building by Shiv Sainiks in the vicinity of Parel Railway workshop. This incident took the life of Mr Jadhav’s brother, Shaheed Bhagwat Jadhav, and he became a martyr. Mr Jadhav talks about how he lost his brother, Shaheed Bhagwat Jadhav. Mr Jadhav details how the organisation focussed on providing legal assistance to victims of anti-Dalit violence in the state, “After an act of violence, the family is left emotionally derailed, and morally lost, to take up legal hurdles. This is where our work became pivotal, as we would step in and assist those families who faced violence and provide them legal help in courts and beyond. The work of the casteist and communal forces over the years has been to divide the nation and its social fabric, this is something we fight against.”

Asked about whether in 2023, how he looks back to the changes that have come about, Mr Jadhav states that not much has changed. However, he stands resolute in his stance that he will continue to struggle and fight against casteist forces. With a vision towards the future, Mr Jadhav talks about how on January 10, 2024 would be his brother Shaheed Bhagwat Jadhav’s 50 years death anniversary, “We will be organising a grand programme with politicians from across the spectrum. We operate with the vision of Babasaheb’s constitution and its values and firmly believe in the fight against the forces that seek to weaken the constitution.”

Instances of reported violence against ST/SC persons have reportedly increased over the years. While viewers hear of it mostly from their screens or through newspaper, Advocate Dular who spoke to CJP provides a closer view at the harrowing reality about how existing mechanisms for justice are not functional for Dalit people as those that implement these provisions often belong to the same caste and ideology as those individuals who attacks Dalits. Identifying as Dalit human rights defender Advocate Ram Dular has been working for human rights in Uttar Pradesh for the past 20-25 years. He is currently based in Varanasi. “The situation for Dalits is extremely grave. There are mass attacks on Dalits. You can see about the latest incident in Kanpur.” Adv. Dular is referring to the incident where a group of upper castes came and attacked people celebrating Buddha Katha in Kanpur. “Why can’t one celebrate Buddha Katha, or the religion they want? It is a fundamental right.”

Drawing light to the media, he highlights that the media does not “follow up” on these cases, and covers a limited number of incidents related to Dalits. “It only covers issues tagged as “Hindu-Muslim” violence, including Dalits under those they consider as Hindu – although ST/SCs have never been Hindu in reality. Casteist fundamentalism is really fuelled by the soch and vichaarhara (ideology) where upper castes think they can do anything to Dalit people. Now, these actions are being done openly. They have become nidar (fearless) in their actions. The government is not doing anything to curb it. Just recently, I heard of a case where a minor Dalit boy was beaten so badly and received internal injuries. He was brought home but he didn’t speak or do anything. Later when he was taken to the hospital, he died of the injuries he sustained by the attack. The boy’s family filed an FIR but the FIR was not registered for murder, it was only registered under section 506 of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 which is only a complaint against having received threat to murder. So in these cases we see that the survivors even face various hurdles in filing FIRs and getting justice. So you can see the police also participate in this, and they do so because they share the same soch, background and ideology as the attackers. This is an issue of the system which is biased. ”

Citing an incident, Adv. Dular narrates how he tried to diligently make the process of accessing a lawyer easier for survivors of anti-Dalit violence by trying to make sure that provisions by the Prevention of Atrocities Act were implemented at the local level, “I sent over 25-30 applications to the Zila Parishad, SDM, Tehsil officers for the implementation of the provision that states that any private lawyer hired by the family of the victim can be turned into a public prosecutor by the District Magistrate.” This implementation, he says, would ensure that the family does not have to make ends meet to pay lawyers’ fees and the lawyer they hire would be adequately compensated, however, he says, “No action was taken. He even sent letters to officials higher up urging them to ensure the district level administration takes action, but they instead replied saying that he should approach the district level,” and putting the request at a seemingly endless loop. This serves to illustrate his words that there really is a systemic apathy and biased demeanour of the justice system (against Dalits).”

These words remind us of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s final address to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949. He talked about the necessity for a social democracy rather than confining efforts solely to political dimensions, “Political Democracy cannot last unless their lies at the base Social Democracy.” Ambedkar’s commitment to social democracy remains a guiding and relevant sight, especially in light of the fact that despite India functioning as a democracy, Dalits, even those in the higher echelons of power, face discrimination and injustice. For instance, in September this year, Kerala’s Minister for SC/ST Welfare, K Radhakrishnan, shared his personal experience of encountering caste discrimination during a temple function in the Kannur district of Kerala. Aghast and shocked, he spoke to the media and emphasised the urgent need for a profound shift in the mind-set that perpetuates such discriminatory practices. This incident reveals that even Dalits in positions of power are not immune to the pervasive impact of structural violence.

According to a report by Deccan Herald, a survey by OXFAM-Newslaundry reported the dismal representation of Dalit and marginalised castes in India and detailed that 90% of the leadership positions in “mainstream” media are occupied by General caste individuals.

Thus, narratives of power, discrimination and strength seem to persevere. CJP spoke to Meena Kotwal, one of India’s foremost journalists who is the founding editor of The Mooknayak, who talked to us about her role as a journalist in bringing change and instituting a new media platform, Mooknayak, to bring change into people’s lives, and being “too vocal” a Dalit for existing media houses. Referring to her time and subsequent departure from BBC India, Kotwal had spoken in public and highlighted the casteism she had faced on account of being a Dalit woman. She talks to CJP, narrating about having worked as a freelance journalist in various media outlets after leaving the BBC, saying that the position of Dalit journalists in media publications as freelancers especially is extremely precarious. “They have very difficult future prospects, they are not included in decision-making processes, and if anyone is a vocal Dalit, like me, they will not be given a job at all.  Following my time as a freelancer, I even started working without remuneration,”

However, that did not bode well for the journalist, she narrates how she faced vulnerabilities on account of gender and caste both. However, she argues that her heart did not want to settle, “Mann nahi lag raha tha. Existing media did not want to accept the kind of stories I would want to do. This made me very angry. It was January of 2020, and in my anger and fury, I formed The Mooknayak, on 31st January 2021. Dr Ambedkar too, seeing how ignorant Indian media was at the time to concerns and issues of the Dalit people, had formed The Mooknayak on the very same day. So, it got me thinking, why should I not revive it again? I decided to form The Mooknayak which would focus on caste and gender in particular. Initially I started it alone. But gradually, we were 5 people, then more, and more joined.”

Talking about the toil put in the work of journalism, she says, “I was working very hard. I thought then, why not work hard for stories I believe are necessary. In India, despite it being the place where caste has originated, there is not enough work done on caste. Research and journalism on caste is happening in countries such as the US and UK, but not India.”

On being asked what is rewarding about her pioneering efforts in media, she says, “I don’t find this being rewarding in the sense that we should have had these initiatives long back. People are celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi, it’s been 75 years, but we still lag so far behind. There has not been an Indian Dalit woman editor in India ever,” until of course, Kotwal took up the helm herself, marking a shift in what it means to be Dalit in media, “This should be a source of sharmindagi that we have had to wait for so long. There is nothing rewarding about this. It is something we lack.” Further discussing how international media has covered and been in contact with The Mooknayak more than domestic media, a fact that can be attributed to casteism, Kotwal talks about how domestic media fails to pay attention.

Talking about the momentous impact of The Mooknayak, she narrates that, “Our stories bring change. Due to coverage and reportage, if a person is getting access to electricity or water, improves food quality – or even is able to file an FIR, because it is become extremely dangerous and difficult for survivors to file an FIR in cases of SC/ST atrocities, I would say that is monumental impact by The Mooknayak. I am not here to change the government. Governments come and governments go, the situation of Dalits continues to remain the same even as time passes across decades. I believe small issues constitute a big change. If Mooknayak is able to bring these changes, it is something, I believe, that has a lasting, long term impact.”

Citing NCRB statistics, Kotwal states that crimes against Dalits have risen, “These are only the instances that are reported.” Thus, she observes how the condition of caste persists despite government promises over the years, thereby reiterating her belief in bringing changes in everyday experiences to be a source of lasting change. Meena Kotwal herself was subjected to casteist violence and even faced initial difficulty in filing an FIR against these instances after she released a photo on Twitter, now X, of burning the Manusmriti on December 25. Babasaheb Ambedkar had also burned the Manusmriti on December 25, Kotwal reminded us during the conversation, during the Mahad Satyagraha which was a struggle for Dalits to achieve access to public drinking water. He strongly believed that the Manusmriti was an anti-social text and thus the day he burned it is regarded as the Manusrmiti Dahan Diwas, he has explained the burning of the text saying that he was convinced that the Manusmriti did not even remotely support the idea of social equality.

While the nation continues to stand in the shadow of the horrifyingly brutal rape and murder of a young Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, the reality is that these incidents are the norm. The notion of “contamination” and the stigmatisation of Dalits in the name of scriptures have perpetuated deeply ingrained prejudices. Golwalkar’s speech in Ahmedabad in December 1960, as reported in Organiser in January 1961, reflects the far-right Hindutva’s use of ideological justifications for violently enforcing hierarchical norms.

The RSS seeks to unite India to a pan-Hindu nation-state, but scholars, writers, and activists have questioned the attempts by RSS to include it in its ambit of Hindu. Bhanwar Meghanshi, spoke to CJP in his eloquent but clear manner of speaking, putting to words his journey as an author offering a Dalit perspective from within India’s largest organisation, the parent organisation of India’s ruling party in power, the BJP. Hailing from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Meghwanshi has published the now famous memoir of the times he worked in the RSS as a Swayamsevak, titled ‘I could not be a Hindu: the story of a Dalit in RSS.’ “I was compelled to write on my experience after the 2002 Godhra massacre. I initially started writing on Facebook, where I wrote about 54 episodes about my experience, much of which today have become a part of the book. This was how the book initially started. The responses to the posts were very welcoming. However, the book took time. It was in 2017, that it actually came about, in Hindi.”

Speaking about how his words unsettled people, he narrates, “However, the publishers were…apprehensive. They seemed to want to make some changes, reduce the teekhapan, and change the language which constituted a direct attack. However, another publication came, Navarun Prakashan, which published my book in 2019, and later on Navayana also took it forward with an English translation a year later. Now, it has been translated to several languages including Marathi, Malayalam, and a Punjabi version is also forthcoming. The response to the book was also great. However, there was absolutely no response from those I criticised, the RSS. Even though they respond and make an uproar about a single Tweet, for which people are often sent to jail, they did not respond to my book.” Meghwanshi terms it as a strategic silence, “They did not wish to give my book, and my perspective, any attention so that it might attract more readers. I have heard that some members of the organisation have certainly read my book but they have not responded, in fact, and have acted like the book does not exist. There has been violence or intimidation.”

Meghwanshi details how he came to write the book, “In the early 2000s, I used to work in the Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan following which I worked in village camps in affected areas in Gujarat post the 2002 massacre. This really struck me, and was the point that moved me to write about my experiences. I could see that Dalit and Adivasi communities were also involved in the violence, in the looting. I wanted them to have ‘another face’. I wanted them to know they are being used for politics.” “Furthermore, when the BJP came to power in 2014, I noticed that people were increasingly becoming silent. I felt that I should break the silence, who knows whether I might too be silenced in the coming years.”

While, he states that he did not face violence to his book, he did face comments from people at home. “From people in Bhilwara, there were mixed responses. Because the people I interact and meet with on a daily basis in the city are the characters that are featured in the book. About 80% of the people, the incidents, the place are all from the area, people I see drinking chai at a shop, catching a bus, or train or going about their work. However, there was no violent response. They would certainly give some comments, “Arey Meghwanshi ji, kya likh diya.” But it was limited to that.”

CJP asked him about the impact of his writing, and what propelled him to write, “What was different with me was that I wrote. Many people have such experiences, but not many write. The written word always presents a pramanikta (authenticity). Written word can be put to test of truth by court, thereby written words have credibility, and they also ensure the writer is accountable and responsible to what he writes.” On the RSS response, Meghwansi shares his understanding, “It seems that the RSS officials have decided that there would be no reaction to my book. When the book started selling copies in Bhilwara, I had heard from someone that a Dalit parshad was going to burn my book in public. However, the burning never took place. The plan was swiftly, it seems, done away with. I asked one acquaintance why this was happening. One of them told me it is because I am not a communist or Muslim or Christian, they do not wish to bring attention to the question of Dalits within the RSS that an attack on me would bring.”

After the book was published, Bhanwar Meghwanshi states that he was contacted by a working professional who was with the RSS for many years who contacted Meghwanshi saying that he had some questions and doubts about the book. The individual, who belongs to a marginalised background, told Meghwanshi that after he heard of the book, he bought it from Amazon, but it ended up lying in his home, unread, for quite some time. Meghwanshi asked the person why, who told him he was not sure he wanted to read it. However, once he did read it, he had even greater curiosity about the book and its contents, and thus he sought answers from RSS officials about Meghwanshi’s part in the RSS. He called up the official, and asked them about the book and its author, he was met with no refrain, the official mentioned that Meghwanshi was a good old Swayamsevak, and that these days he was naraaz with the organisation. Meghwanshi and this individual had a lengthy conversation about the book and their experience in the organisation.

Meghwanshi reflects on the impact of his book, “I think when you speak, well within your rights, your life and your life’s truth come out, and this may guide someone who’s lost their way, it may give someone hope … One incident struck me. Moolchand Rana has mentioned me in his book. He told me that he has worked in the RSS for 49 years, and left it after 49 years. However, he was inspired by my writing and encouraged to write by it. That’s what it is, writing breaks silence, I think, that is important. One mustn’t be silent, one must speak up no matter how much darkness there is.”

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The post Untouchability and exclusion, absence of voice: Dalit situation 2023 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the industrial town of Thangadh in Gujarat, four Dalit laborers found themselves chained to a motorcycle and forced to dig a well. This horrifying ordeal only came to an end as two of the four managed to break free on the fourth night and informed the police who came over and freed the remaining men.

The authorities have taken swift action, apprehending both Kathat and Vanraj, the owner of a coal mine in the same village and his accomplice. Furthermore, an autorickshaw driver by the name of Rajubhai, who was reported to be involved in the crime, has also been identified and is currently being pursued by the police.

One of the victims, 34-year old Mukesh Rathod told the media about how he met Rajubhai, the auto driver, during his hunt from work. Rajubhai had offered an opportunity to work at a site for Rs 500 per day, along with the provisions of food and lodging. Rathod and three other labourers agreed to go with the driver in what would probably be the most harrowing event of their lives.

After arriving at the site, they met a man, Kathad, who led them to the mining site and informed them that they had to dig a well. Initially, he gave them the illusion of freedom and said that they could leave if the work proved too demanding.However, when they wanted to leave, Kathad demanded Rs 2500 from each labourer as he paid Rajubhai ₹2,500 for hiring each of them. When the workers said they did not have money, Kathat allegedly chained them to a motorbike. The four men have also accused the owner of the mine of beating and showering abuses on them.

On the night of September 30, two of them managed to escape and report the incident to the nearest police station.  The next morning, police raided and freed the remaining victims.

The police have so far booked three accused  in relation to the incident on charges which include voluntary causing harm, wrongful confinement, and sections of the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of the Indian Penal Code. Furthermore, the in-charge inspector of Thangadh, has promised to issue a comprehensive report on this incident to the geology and mining department, as well as the collectors and sub-divisional magistrates of Thangadh.

Kapadwanj, Gujarat

On October 2, 2023,  a 17-year-old Dalit boy named Ajay Vankar and his family were violently beaten up in Narsinhpur village in Kapadwanj. The attack was reportedly in retaliation for Ajay protesting against untouchability meted out to him by a boy nameed Himanshu Thakor from a nearby village, Nirmali.

It all started when Ajay, who is a student at an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), confided in his father, Bhanu Vankar, about how Himanshu subjected him to harassment and caste-based slurs. It is also reported that Himanshu explicitly told Ajay to stay away because he belongs to a scheduled caste background and hurled a lit firecrackers at him.

Following this, Ajay’s father visited Himanshu’s house to speak with his family members about their son’s harassment. However, this intervention only seemed to make the situation worse. On a Monday morning, Himanshu came to their house, accompanied with five other people, which included his own mother and subjected Ajay, Bhanu, and their family members to a torrent of caste-based abuses and beating. Ajay himself was forcibly dragged out of his house by his hair after which Himanshu and his accomplices struck him on the head with a stone.

When other family members rushed to intervene and protect Ajay, they too were met with violence. Ajay’s mother was also struck on the head with a stone when she attempted to rescue her son.

The assailants fled the scene when other villagers began to gather. Even while leaving, they left by threatening the family further, seeming to have no regret or fear over their actions. Fearing for their lives, the family reported the incident to the police. A complaint was filed for a range of offenses, including rioting, unlawful assembly, causing grievous harm, criminal intimidation, and invoking the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act under the IPC.

These incidents serve to be a stark reminder of the insecurity and danger Dalits with which have to live their everyday lives. When a small abuse against a Dalit student could escalate into an assault on his family, it is never certain. When a job opportunity for a Dalit labourer could result in him being enslaved and beaten, one can never know.  In fact, violence against Dalits has just risen. For instance,  the number of reported crimes has risen over the years, and the NCRB has reported a 1.2 % increase in crimes against Dalits from 2020 to 2021, and these are figures only of the crimes that are reported to the police. It is also evident that politicians and policy makers seem to give the issue of violence against Dalits little attention and care.

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The post Shocking violence against Dalits reported from Gujarat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

North

Jalandhar, Punjab

In Jalandhar, a Dalit youth was reported to have been kidnapped and beaten by the son of an Aam Aadmi Party leader. The victim Aakash Bangar shared details of the incident as reported by the Tribune India on September 16, 2023.

Bangar recounted, “I was coming from near Dakoha last evening in my Baleno car. Dhall’s son and his friend were following me and continuously using a hooter, which irritated me. I got out of the car and asked him why he was using it when he was no big shot. On this, he and his friend got agitated. They bundled me in his car, covered my face with a cloth and kept on beating me throughout. Since I hail from Phagwara and run an NGO for blood donation there, I did not even know who Dhall is till he joined them to beat me up.”

The situation escalated further when Dinesh Dhall the AAP leader himself reportedly joined the episode and took the victim to the Rama Mandi police station where another round of physical abuse reportedly occurred in the presence of law enforcement officers.

However, the harrowing incidents did not end there. Bangar asserted that he received inadequate treatment from the on-duty doctors at the Civil Hospital after he arrived at the hospital around 11:30 pm at the behest of AAP leaders. Later,  Bangar’s friends and family had to transfer him to a private hospital where he finally received proper medical attention.

Furthermore, the Jalandhar city police opted not to file a case, instead attempting to broker a compromise between the AAP leader’s son and the victim while the latter was still undergoing treatment, according reports. Senior police officials categorised the incident as a minor “road rage” altercation, stating that both parties had agreed to reconcile. This compromise reportedly took place even as Congress MLAs, including Bawa Henry and Pargat Singh, as well as District Congress chief Rajinder Beri, met with Police Commissioner Kuldeep Chahal urging for the registration of an FIR in the case.

Balwinder Kumar, a leader from the BSP also came forward in support of Bangar. He alleged, “Senior police officials in Jalandhar tend to take action against Dalit activists or individuals from marginalised sections even for minor offences, such as protesting over delays in the SC Post-Matric Scholarship. In this case, where prominent figures like the AAP leader and his family are implicated in an attack, the authorities are treating it as a minor offence.”

Later in the evening, Bangar denied claims of a compromise and alleged coercion and stating that the police had made him sign on papers when he was barely conscious at the hospital, “While I was semi-conscious in the hospital, the police repeatedly sought my signatures on various documents. I signed these papers without understanding their contents. Subsequently, someone informed me that one of the documents concerned a compromise, which I plan to revoke. After such an incident, I have no intention of reaching a compromise.”

Ballia, Uttar Pradesh

A teenage Dalit girl was raped in Ballia, the news arose on September 15.  In connection with the case the police have arrested one accused. Circle Officer Mohammad Usman has reported that both the minor victim and the accused, a 22-year-old named Tufani Yadav, are residents of the same village. The alleged incident of rape occurred on September 11, according to the the police.

A formal complaint was lodged by the girl’s brother after which the arrest took place and a  case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the SC/ST Act against Yadav, according to Usman.

Ballia, Uttar Pradesh

Another harrowing story emerges from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia. A Dalit youth Sandeep Kumar and his cousin Vikas were brutally attacked with knives near Chilkahar railway station under Gadwar police station’s jurisdiction.Sudeep and Vikas were at the railway platform. A group from their village attacked them with knives, causing chaos. Sandeep succumbed to his injuries, while Vikas was rushed to a Varanasi trauma centre.

The incident also gave rise to local protests and a road blockade from the community and further developments led to Inspector Rajkumar Singh of Gadwar police station being suspended. An FIR under sections of the SC/ST Act has been filed. Three people have been remanded out of the twelve accused. The outraged public conducted a road blockade of the Ballia-Lucknow highway with demands for compensation for Sandeep’s family, and government employment for his widow. After officials assured of swift action, the protest was called off. The family alleged that previous attacks had also been taken out by the accused on Sandeep, however the authorities had not taken his complaint seriously. Following Sandeep’s death, the SHO has been suspended from duty.

Patan, Gujarat

In the rural corner of Gujarat, caste discrimination seems to have led the district administration to over 400 ration card holders to buy their ration from the neighbouring village of Edla instead of the village they reside in.  District collector Arvind Vijayan issued the order on September 12 after villagers refused to buy ration from a Dalit man named Kanti Parmar in Kanosan.

A year and a half ago a majority of ration cardholders from the Thakor community, which dominates Kanosan, stopped buying their monthly rations from Kanti Parmar’s FPS over a year ago. They also alleged that Parmar had threatened to file the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocity) Act against them, according to the Indian Express.

To address this dispute, the district administration gathered statements from 268 Kanosan residents. Of these, 260 expressed their willingness to switch to neighbouring FPS options, while only eight still favoured buying from Kanti Parmar.

Following this consensus, collector Arvind Vijayan ordered the transfer of all ration cards to the FPS run by Visabhai Rabari in Edla village, located just 1.5 km from Kanosan.

Kanti Parmar has vehemently denied all false allegations against him, asserting that the dispute originated when he refused to provide rations to a Thakor leader who was actually ineligible to receive the ration. Speaking to the Indian Express, he stated clearly that his shop had been targeted for boycott by the Thakor community.

The issue got extremely pressing and concerning to that point that Kanti attempted suicide by ingesting poison in a public park. Following this incident his son, Mukesh, filed a police complaint against four Thakor community members, alleging that they had encouraged villagers to boycott the shop and falsely accused Kanti.

Collector Arvind Vijayan defended his order as a result of an internal inquiry and strong opposition from villagers. He assured that Kanti would have an opportunity to present his side before any decisions about shop licence cancellation are made.

Mukesh Parmar has further expressed fears that their shop would now be closed, and it would be a disaster for the family given it was their only source of income.

Shahjahanpur, UP

A 15-year-old Dalit girl was reportedly subjected to months of rape by two men in an area under the jurisdiction of Roza Police Station. The teenager used to visit a woman’s house in her neighbourhood which was where she was introduced to Tanveer and Dilbag. The additional Superintendent of Police Sudhir Jaiswal has stated that according to the victim’s father’s complaint, Tanveer and Dilbag raped the minor girl over a four-month period and had also threatened her not to disclose the abuse to anyone.

Tanveer, Dilbag, and the neighbor Nisha have been booked under sections 376 D (gang rape), 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty), and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim has undergone a medical examination and authorities are actively pursuing the accused individuals according to the ASP.

Chittorgarh, Rajasthan

On September 16, in Dugaar village in the Begun area of Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan, an elderly Dalit man was subjected to gross humiliation. A video recently surfaced on social media, revealing that he was coerced into making an apology before the village panchayat by placing shoes on his head. Following intervention by Dallit activists, the police took action on Monday night by registering a case against seven individuals under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Subsequently three individuals, namely Sukhdev, Dinesh, and Behru Lal, were further arrested in connection with this incident.

The video depicted villagers surrounding the elderly man, who stood with a bundle of shoes on his head while repeatedly offering apologies with folded hands. After his apology, he was instructed to sit down.

Deep rooted Casteism in Rajasthan, a Dalit elder was publicly insulted and apologized by placing shoes on his head. pic.twitter.com/bF1WWEK8LS

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) September 20, 2023

According to SHO Devendra Kumar, the police initiated proceedings upon receiving a complaint.  Allegedly, during one of his religious recitations, Salvi made remarks that offended members of the Gurjar community. Initially, these remarks went relatively unnoticed during the recitation. However, the situation escalated when a video of the incident started circulating on social media which received with anger by the accused.

South 

Kolar, Karnataka

A Dalit man lost his life to suicide after he was abused with casteist slurs and beaten by a broom at Haralugere village in Kolar district of Karnataka.

The man had apparently made an inappropriate remark about a friend’s wife which led to the violent altercation where the husband and his friends assaulted the man. The complaint that was lodged at the Malur police station stated that the man committed suicide due to humiliation meted out by his friends. Inspector Vasanth Kumar ha stated that a case has been registered against the five accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Following the man’s suicide, the accused fled the place.

Kannur, Kerala

Kerala’s Minister for SC/ST Welfare, K Radhakrishnan recently spoke up about an incident of caste discrimination he himself faced during a temple function in the Kannur district of Kerala. Radhakrishnan who also holds the portfolio for Devaswom temple affairs has called for a fundamental shift in the mind-set that perpetuates such discriminatory practices.

“I believe that the general public of Kerala will not accept it. The caste system is a stain on society, and as long as it exists, the fight against it will continue,” asserted the minister, according to Deccan Chronicle. The incident in question took place during the inauguration ceremony at a temple when Radhakrishnan found himself side-lined based on his caste. Two temple priests, he revealed, declined to hand him the sacred flame, which is customarily used to light the main lamp at such events.

#Casteism Kerala SC/ST Welfare Minister K Radhakrishnan has alleged caste discrimination faced by him during a temple function in the Kannur district of Kerala. pic.twitter.com/2x1HPB5xab

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) September 20, 2023

Radhakrishnan recounted the incident during a gathering at a Bharatiya Velan Service Society  program in Kottayam, and asserted, “I pointed out that they don’t discriminate against the money I give but they discriminate against me. The caste system may not disappear overnight, but it has not gone away from people’s minds. I expressed my disappointment that they discriminate against people while not showing any discrimination towards the money donated by the poor, which changes hands from the butcher or fish seller and comes out of their trousers.”

Radhakrishnan has decided not to pursue legal action in the Kannur incident, advocating for resolving the issue through dialogue. Meanwhile, the state committee of the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam has responded saying that priests conducting ‘deva pujas’ do not make physical contact with anyone, irrespective of their caste, until the ceremony concludes.

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Death by excreta: The cursed lives of India’s manual scavengers

The post Systemic and widespread: Violence against Dalit continues across Indian states appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi:  To sensitise servants of law to help the marginalised, prosecutors and advocates were recently trained by Delhi’s advocacy group to serve marginalised victims of atrocities.
 
There is a lot of simmering anger and resentment among the Dalit and Adivasi communities over the dilution of the Atrocities Act by the Supreme Court over anecdotal evidence about its misuse. If actual statistics are to be believed, that too the Annual statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau, the false convictions and crimes against Dalits and Adivasis paint a different picture.  
 
From 2009 to 2014, crimes against scheduled castes (SC) increased by 40% while those against scheduled tribes (ST) went up 118% (NCRB data).
 
However, conviction rates under the Atrocities Act were significantly lower than the national conviction rate for all crimes in general. The Bureau’s data for the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016 shows an average conviction rate of 28.8 in crimes against SC and 25.2 in crimes against ST. The average conviction rate for all crimes under the Indian Penal Code is much higher at 42.5.
 
Over a decade, up till 2016, the rate of crime against Dalits rose more than eight times to 746%. There were 2.4 crimes per 100,000 Dalits in 2006, rising to 20.3 in 2016, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of 2016 NCRB data.
 
To show how the police and the judiciary were failing the marginalised, the data says that cases pending police investigation for both marginalised groups have risen by 99% and 55% respectively, while the pendency in courts has risen by 50% and 28%, respectively. The conviction rates for crime against SCs and STs have fallen by 2 percentage points and 7 percentage points, respectively, to 26% and 21%, from 2006 to 2016.
 
With increasing crime against the marginalised and no clear path to justice, the National Dalit Movement for Justice-NCDHR (NDMJ) based in New Delhi held a national training programme for special public prosecutors and advocates to ensure access to justice for Dalits and Adivasis from Dec 14-16 at Viswa Yuva Kendra.
 
Around 50 special public prosecutors attended the training session organised by NDMJ and American Bar Association to support the Dalit and Adivasi victims and help them access justice in the Exclusive Special Court under SCs and STs (PoA) Amendment Act 2015.
 
A study report titled ‘Criminal Justice- in the Shadow of Caste,’ on discrimination against Dalit and Adivasi prisoners and victims of police excesses was also released.
 
The data under SC/ST (PoA) 1989 in cases of atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis is clear evidence of the poor implementation of the Atrocity Act and the presence of caste hierarchies in the mechanisms of justice delivery.
 
The three days training programme provided an opportunity to the Special Public Prosecutors appointed/ to be appointed, as per Rule 4(5) of PoA Act, to enhance prosecution knowledge and skill, to serve justice to the Dalit and Adivasi communities affected by atrocities.
 
“Keeping in mind the poor statistics ,National Dalit Movement for Justice has taken the initiative to engage with committed lawyers in order to capacitate and encourage them to be appointed as Special Public Prosecutors (SPPs) for prosecuting cases of atrocity against Dalit and Adivasi communities under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, 1989. NDMJ-NCDHR is engaging with committed lawyers to develop their perspectives and capacities to pursue the cases of atrocities by intervening in the special court with utmost legal efficiency. The communities can access justice only when there are committed and efficient lawyers who understand the challenges present in the judicial system,” a statement released by the group said.
 
Section 15 of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 and Rule 4(5) of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, empowers Dalit and Adivasi victims to file petitions for appointment of Special Public Prosecutors of own choice. NDMJ – NCDHR has given considerable importance to the above-mentioned section. This provision becomes very crucial to enter courts that have been the domain of politically appointed lawyers with biased mind-sets, it can be extremely helpful as a tool for Special court intervention for the victims for accessing justice, they added.
 
A study report on  Discrimination Against Dalit And Adivasis Prisoners and Victims of Police Excesses was also released during the training session. The study exclusively focuses on the Dalits and Adivasis accused of crimes and till date, no in-depth study has been made on the prejudices against Dalit and Adivasi prisoners in Indian Prison System. This study aims to explore the pain and agony of people victimised by the police excesses and those incarcerated. The study brings out the instances of discrimination based on caste at every layer of the criminal justice administration system
 
Main findings of the study    
The findings detailed in this report show the gravity of caste discrimination against Dalits and Adivasis by police institutions. Deeply entrenched prejudices against Dalit’s and Adivasis play an important role in their harassment and incarceration. There are allegations that most police officers have their own caste and gender biases and often behave with Dalits and Adivasis in discriminatory ways. Usually, the victims of police torture are mainly Dalits and Adivasis. They are often picked up and jailed on concocted charges. The case studies and findings reveal the treatment meted out to the people belonging to Dalit and Adivasi communities. They are subjected to illegal arrests, detention and physical torture by the police in the name of nabbing “habitual offenders.”
 
The members of the community, including men, women and children, are subjected to systematic, continued and ruthless treatment by the police. The study reveals that it is convenient for the police to catch hold of the Dalits and Adivasi communities and foist false cases on them for crimes they had not committed. Dalits and other indigenous people too poor to seek legal counsel obviously spend too long behind bars, unable to seek justice even when they might be innocent.
 
The findings detailed in this report also show prison systems do not function at the level of the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. The relevant international obligations and standards are deliberately disregarded. The deliberate physical, psychological mistreatment of inmates by prison officials is a persistent and pervasive cause of concern. Dalits and Adivasis are particularly vulnerable to deliberate mistreatment.
 
The research shows how caste-based prejudice lead to a high number of vulnerable communities inside the prisons and how often the prisoners are denied the minimum legal protections and legal processes guarantees during their arrest, detention or imprisonment.
 
Findings reveal how barriers are imposed on incarcerated Dalit’s inside the jails and how their legitimate rights are overlooked, in terms of their right to food, wage, employment, accommodation, medical, bail, parole and other rights to trial and appeals. All of these together impede the future success of both the families and of the communities at large.
 
Key recommendations by the NDMJ-NCDHR
1.     States must ensure that torture; cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment/ punishments are not employed before, during or after any interrogation, inside or outside the Police Custody by police officials.
2.      Ratify the United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
3.      Ensure that the government takes measures to protect a certain section of the SC, ST and DNT from being targeted on the pretext of habitual offenders and caste bias by the police.
4.     The State Police Departments in conjunction with the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), should conduct training and sensitization programs on the discrimination-free atmosphere in jails and police stations, rights of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and their duties and responsibilities.
5.     Providing medical assistance, accommodation and beddings, adequate wages and employment, to inmates in prisons needs no reaffirmation and that discrimination over basic minimum facilities based on caste is a violation of human rights. All State Governments should concentrate on making the discrimination-free atmosphere a reality, including prisoners.
6.     Legal Aid System needs an urgent overhaul. Such useful state instruments which can prove vital for thousands of illiterate and poor undertrials needs the strong endorsement of the Union Government and states. In this regard, the Law Commission’s proposal for new lawyers to do a two-year compulsory stint with the legal aid system is still on hold and needs to be enforced immediately.
 
Five out of six cases of atrocities against Dalits go unpunished
According to National Crime Record Bureau, between 10 to 15 thousand cases of crimes are reported under the Prevention of Atrocities act every year; an average of 35 crimes per day. Many times more crimes actually go unreported. In 2016 Indian courts had over 45 thousand cases under this act. Out of the 4048 cases decided, conviction occurred in 659 cases only. That is, five out of six cases of atrocity against Dalits did not result in any punishment. The number of attacks against one of the weakest and the poorest sections of the society and the abysmal rate of conviction would put any civilized society to shame.
 
When the law and police don’t protect you anymore
A report revealed that Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims were most susceptible to being falsely implicated in cases of petty crimes, Maoism, and terrorism respectively.
 
The report titled, “Status of Policing in India Report (SPIR) 2018: A Study Performance and Perception”, analysed the law enforcement in 22 states across India through a combination of official data and perception of police in the minds of people. It was released in May highlighted the status of policing in the country. It jointly unveiled by the Common Cause and Lokniti-CSDS.
 
38% of respondents agreed that Dalits were framed in cases of petty crimes, 28% said that Adivasis were vulnerable to false arrests for Maoism, and 27% agreed that Muslims were likely to be falsely implicated in terrorism-related cases.
 
The Supreme Court order said that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989 is being “misused” and laid down procedures which will make it difficult for vulnerable communities to lodge cases against people in powerful positions such as government officials.
 
16 special courts were introduced in 33 districts of Gujarat two years after the Una flogging incident to address Dalit atrocity in Gujarat. The special courts are a part of total 56 special courts and according to data from Gujarat High Court till December 31, 2017, there are 3,879 atrocity cases pending at various stages of trial in these courts
 
In a leaked viral video clip, a constable from Beed, Maharashtra was recorded saying that she beats up Scheduled Caste people who come to her to lodge complaints against upper caste atrocities under the Atrocities Act. “I tie the hands and legs of Dalits and take my anger on them,” she is allegedly heard in the clip. Another person in the video is also heard saying that the IPS officer has filed cases under Section 307 of the IPC of attempt to murder against Muslims so that they don’t get bail easily.
 
The constable is also allegedly heard saying that when she was posted in Pimpri, she did not arrest Marathas accused of caste atrocities for three days, and instead asked the Marathas to file a false case against the Dalits. The IPS officer is also heard advising the Marathas to file a case under Section 122 of the IPC, which is an offence to bear arms without a licence. Many Dalit organisations have demanded action against the officer who identifies herself as a Maratha,” the report said.
 
The police have ordered an investigation against the IPS officer from Beed’s Majalgaon tehsil, but reports suggest that this is not the first time she has shielded Marathas from cases filed against them.
 
The Bhima Koregaon case is a prime example of how the marginalised were targeted and activists across the country, working for SC/ST, human rights group were arrested on false charges.
 
In Maharashtra–where Dalits constitute 11.2% of the state’s population–crimes against Dalits rose 25%, from 10.6 per 100,000 Dalits in 2006 to 13.2 in 2016. Cases pending investigation rose 137% from 346 cases in 2006 to 821 in 2016. Cases pending trial were up 28% from 6,181 cases in 2006 to 7,913 cases in 2016, NCRB data show.
 
Apart from reflecting caste bias and corruption, FIRs are delayed because of the pressure on police to keep the reported crime rates low in their jurisdiction, as a high crime rate is not viewed favourably among police personnel, according to a 2014 National Human Rights Commission study. “Police views the Act as an obstacle to caste harmony,” the report added.
 
In an assessment of the country-wide implementation of the SC/ST Act, the ministry of social justice described key problems in its implementation, including such behaviour as “willful negligence of a public servant in discharging duties for registration of complaints, recording statement of witnesses, conducting investigation and filing charges”, in its 2016 annual report.
 
In the past eight years, no Dalit or Adivasi judge has been elevated to the Supreme Court, and none of the 24 high courts has a serving Dalit judge, The Print reported in April 2018. In lower courts, Dalits comprised less than 14% of judges, and tribals 12%, the Times of India reported in January 2018.
 
(With inputs from previous Sabrang articles.)
 
 
Read Also:
Over A Decade, Crime Rate Against Dalits Rose By 746%
A Dalit Family’s Struggle Shows How India’s Justice System Is Failing Its Lowest Castes

The post Double Discrimination: Crimes Against Dalits, Adivasis Register Sharp Increase while Conviction is half of Average appeared first on SabrangIndia.