Tag Archives: Crime on Dalits

July 21, 2015 · 1:35 pm

17.1 % increase in crimes against Dalits, what governments are doing?

The crimes

Dalit girl beaten brutally because her shadow fell on upper caste man. Two Dalit boys killed for not having change for Rs 4.
Dalit girl’s hand burnt for asking upper caste man to lower volume of music. Dalit man crushed because an upper caste man didn’t like his mobile ringtone.
Several Dalit women and girls gang-raped. All of this in just last one month.
In 2013, overall, there was a 17.1% increase in crimes against Dalits.

Toothless prevention

The Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act has not curbed violence against Dalits.
Number of cases pending under the Act: 84.1%.
Only 5% of total cases result in conviction, and the rate is declining steadily.

Suggested reforms

Dalit coalition NCPSA has suggested major amendments to the current Act.
Key changes: There should be no need to prove caste as a motivating factor in crime. Hard to prove intention. Identity of victims should be enough.
Officers should be held responsible for failing to act when crimes against Dalits are reported. Official apathy is a key reason Dalits don’t get justice.
The scope of the Act should be broadened to include socio-economic boycott, destruction of property, limiting access to opportunities, humiliation of men and women, etc.

Government inaction

UPA 2 Cabinet cleared the updated Bill in 2013, but it couldn’t be passed in Parliament.
Ordinance was passed, but Modi govt allowed it to lapse. Then sent it to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.
Committee cleared it late last year with minor changes, but govt hasn’t moved on it yet.

Source – CatchNews

30th May (1936) in Dalit History – Bombay Presidency Conversion Conference

Bombay Presidency Conversion Conference was held on 30th May 1936.

Bombay Presidency Conversion Conference (Mumbai Elaka Mahar Panshad) of Mahars was held at Naigaum (Dadar) to sound their opinion on the issue of Conversion. Mr. Subha Rao, popularly known as Hydrabadi Ambedkar, presided over the Conference. In the morning the Ascetics shaved their beards, mustaches and destroyed their symbols of Hinduism in an Ascetic’s Conference.

Say No To Hindu Temples

In BJP ruled Rajasthan – Jats crush 3 Dalits under tractors!

Another horrifying crime on Dalits was committed by upper caste Jats in Rajasthan where Jats did crush 3 Dalits under tractors and injured a dozen others. Upper castes people also molested Dalit women, did beat them and made them naked. This is such a horrible crime but no accuse has been arrested yet. Is this Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas definition of BJP? Crimes against Dalits are on rise under BJP government at center and in Rajasthan, what actions governments taking to curb these crimes? Till now BJP government has not done anything concrete to solve the problems faced by Dalits.

If we look at the statistics compiled by India’s National Crime Records Bureau, those stats indicate that every hour two Dalits are assaulted; every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered, and two Dalit homes are torched. These figures are not true representative of number of crimes done against Dalits as many a times police officials support upper castes people and they don’t register the case. So many crimes go unreported. Hence, actual number of atrocities done on Dalits are much higher.

We must speak against all the crimes committed against Dalits.