Sam - Crimes Against the SC/ST Communities in India - A short study
Crimes Against the SC/ST Communities in India - A short study
We’ve been raised to believe religion is the way to salvation, peace, solace, and comfort. But what if it was the reason one lost all of it? The story of Dalits and Adivasis isn’t new, nor that the fact oppression still prevalently exists. What, however, one should know is that the awareness to change the ratio of these crimes is abysmal. This short data story intends to explore this problem while looking at crimes/atrocities against SCs and STs individually.
You don't have to look closer
Puking children were rushed to hospitals while severe diarrhea was making their frail bodies weaker by the minute. The bewildered community scrammed to doctors looking for answers, and a doctor suggested that water could be the reason behind this outbreak. A bunch of men climbed the 10,000-liter water tank that was quenching the needs of around 100 people to inspect, only to discover what would be one the cruelest of atrocities to have been committed against the SC community.
The water tank was brimming with human excreta. On December 2023, the People of Irayur village of Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu had just been the recent mass victims of caste-based violence. This isn’t new since this village has deep-rooted casteist behaviors, so much so that the village still practices the two-tumbler system, two different glasses for Dalits and upper-caste people and still Dalits being denied entry into temples.
Despite constitutional safeguards and laws in place, the Scheduled Castes (SC) community in India continues to experience discrimination and violence. Crimes against SCs have increased recently, per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
Due to their inferior caste position, the SC population has historically experienced prejudice and injustice. Reservations in government employment and education are just two of the measures the Indian government has taken to safeguard them. An important movement that campaigned against prejudice and violence against the SC group in the 1970s was the Dalit Panthers movement.
Despite these initiatives, crimes against SCs are still common in India. Data from the NCRB show a 12.6% increase in the number of crimes against SCs from 40,801 in 2016 to 45,935 in 2019. These offenses include rape, murder, assault, and horrors like making SCs consume offensive foods or beverages.
Graph - State-wise report of the number of crimes against SC
It is concerning how rarely these offenses are really prosecuted. In 2019, convictions occurred in just 32.8% of cases involving crimes against SCs. This suggests that the perpetrators of these crimes have not been adequately investigated or prosecuted. A culture of impunity towards offenders is furthered by the low conviction rate, creating a vicious circle of violence and injustice.
In recent years, the media has covered a number of high-profile crimes committed against the SC community. 2020 saw nationwide demonstrations after a Dalit woman was allegedly raped and killed in Uttar Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, two Dalit youngsters were fatally beaten in 2018 for urinating in the open. The horrifying crimes that SCs continue to experience in India are highlighted by these examples.
Although some initiatives have been made to address these problems, such as the Prevention of Atrocities Act and the creation of special courts for the trial of crimes against SCs, much more needs to be done. To ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice, the government must concentrate on enhancing the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Additionally, societal attitudes toward the SC community need to change, and discrimination and violence toward them need to be condemned.
Status of atrocities cases over three years
Total cases: 23,095
Pending cases: 19,057
Rate of conviction: 7%
Source: The Hindu.
Obviously things aren't pretty for Adivasis (STs)
On 23rd April 2023, An Adivasi woman was beaten with a slipper by a man who claimed that the two Adivasi women were stealing utensils. We can hear the woman protesting that she had taken the things out of the garbage, in the video. However, the man can be seen beating and shooing them away from the place. This happened in Tamil Nadu, the land of the Periyarist movement.
Graph showing the jump of registered crimes in the year 2014
The 2019 NCRB data shows that there were 45,935 documented cases of crimes against Dalits, an increase of 7.3% over the previous year. Similar to this, there were 10,300 reported crimes against STs, a 26.5% increase. These offences include murder, physical harm, rape, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.
Graph showing Madhya Pradesh leading in the number of registered cases on crimes/atrocities against STs. Also worth noting that Maharashtra has the highest number of ST population.
Throughout history, a number of movements have opposed violence and discrimination against the ST minority in India. A notable movement that battled for ST rights in the 1970s was the Adivasi movement. The movement called for the abolition of prejudice, increased representation in the government, and land rights.
Although there have been some initiatives to address these problems, such as the Forest Rights Act and the Prevention of Atrocities Act, much more needs to be done. To ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice, the government must concentrate on enhancing the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. In addition, discrimination and violence against the ST community must be condemned, and social attitudes toward them must alter.
Comments
Post a Comment