NRI Ambedkarites 'seething' with rage, pain, sadness: Brutal hate crime in Hathras

Counterview Desk

In a solidarity statement, NRI Ambedkarite groups from several countries have said that an analysis of “caste-motivated hate crimes such as rapes/murders” in UP at Hathras, Balrampur, Azamgarh, Bulandshahar suggets that “the conviction rate for the men accused of raping Dalit women is almost nil.”
In a statement, these groups, hailing from including USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Nederland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Belgium, Hungary, Australia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Malaysia said, “The Dalits have increased vulnerability to such crimes due to the casteist mindset of caste Hindus, who have a predominant presence in the police force and administration.”

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During this distressing time, the NRI Ambedkarites are seething with rage, pain and sadness at the brutal caste hate crime against a 19 year old girl from the Scheduled Caste community (also referred to as Dalits/backward castes in media). We offer our condolences to the family of our sister from Hathras, UP.
Our sister lost her life on September 29, 2020, in a Delhi hospital, after she succumbed to the injuries because of the hate crime where she was raped, her tongue was slashed, spinal cord broken and she was left to die by some men from the caste Hindu Thakur community. In an alleged attempt to destroy the evidence, her body was forcefully cremated by the UP police, which literally caused her second death.
This happened against the wishes of the family, who were begging in front of the authorities to see their daughter one last time and who were then heckled and locked up Even before the ashes from her pyre cooled down, there were reports of other heinous rape crimes again on Dalit girls in Balrampur, Azamgarh and Bulandshahar. What is even more shameful is the age of the victims is as low as 8 years.
We demand immediate prosecution of the criminals under the SC/ST Atrocities Act
As per the IndiaSpend Analysis of the National Crime Records Bureau statistics, the crimes against Dalits rose by 746% from 2006 to 2016. The caste motivated rapes and murderns of Dalit women form major proportion of such crimes against Dalits.
The cases pending investigations were up 99% and the police were half as likely to help. The NCRB report is here: Crimes in India. The subsequent reports only point to an upward trend in such crimes. This data only shows the reported crimes for which FIR’s were admitted. The actual number of such crimes against Dalits are much more than these numbers.

Before 2016, the NCRB used to give crimes recorded under POA, 1989 and overall crimes. However, since 2016, the overall figure is not being provided. Thus, there is a visible attempt at hiding the real data. The Dalits have increased vulnerability to such crimes due to the casteist mindset of caste Hindus, who have a predominant presence in the police force and administration.

Crimes against Dalits are a reflection of jealousy, hate toward and intolerance of the little progress the Dalits have been achieving

There have been malicious attempts at obstructing justice, in the form of refusal of the police to file FIR’s, refusal to use the POA Act, 1989, threatening of the victim’s families by the perpetrators and preventing the victim from seeking justice (For instance, the 17 year old Unnao Dalit rape victim was burnt on her way to the court hearing. The convict is a member of the ruling dispensation). 

Thus, the obstruction of justice often happens with the complicity of the administration and government. The conviction rate for the men accused of raping Dalit women is almost nil. In 2018, the only legal safeguard against the heinous caste crimes and atrocities against the Dalits i.e. the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was diluted by the Supreme Court of India diluted by the Supreme Court of India, whose independence and integrity has been severely compromised in the recent times.
The difference between rape, murders and other from of atrocities against the Dalits and similar crimes against other people, is that the crimes against Dalits are caste hate crimes arising out of casteist mindset of Caste Hindus. Such crimes are a reflection of jealousy, hate toward and intolerance of the little progress the Dalits have been achieving.
The NRI Ambedkarites strongly demand the Central government and the UP government, who have already been served NHRC notice to stop perpetuating such violence against Dalit women and stop protecting the perpetrators of such crimes. 

The NRI Ambedkarite community demands strong punitive actions against the perpetrators of the crime and strong protection measures to safeguard the Dalits, especially the women, and take steps to prevent such caste related hate crimes from happening in the future. The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, needs not just to be brought back in its original form but also given more teeth to tackle the rising caste hate crimes against Dalits and offer protection to the Dalit women and child victims.
The Indian government must take initiatives along with the community leaders to eradicate caste, restore law and order in the State of UP and country and create a safer space for women, and provide equal opportunities to all its citizens along with additional safeguards for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Our brave daughter will be in the hearts of all Ambedkarites.
Justice shall be served!
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