Skip to main content

Anti-Dalit atrocities increase 9.4% despite pandemic, Uttar Pradesh tops the list: Report

By Rahul Singh*
Data on crime against Dalits and Adivasis in the Crime In India Report, 2020 draws a distinct pattern of similarity between rural and urban spaces. Published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), they capture some anomalies and interesting trends. The report also shows that a large proportion of crimes against Dalits and Adivasis involves crime against women.
The report reveals that atrocities/crime against Scheduled Castes have increased by 9.4% in 2020 (50,291) over 2019 (45,935). Uttar Pradesh (12,714 cases) reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) accounting for 25.2% followed by Bihar with 14.6% (7368) and Rajasthan with 13.9% (7017) during 2020.
The next two states in the list are Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra accounting for 13.7% (6899) and Maharashtra 5.1% (2569). The above top five states reported 72.5% of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes. The recent incidents of atrocities against Scheduled Castes in Delhi, Chhattarpur, M.P and Bijnaur, U.P, reflects the harsh realities at the grass roots.
Atrocities/crimes against Scheduled Tribes have increased by 8.4% in 2020 (8,272) over 2019 (7,570). Madhya Pradesh (2401, cases) reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Tribes (STs) accounting for 29.02% followed by Rajasthan with 22.7% (1,878 cases) and Maharashtra with 8.01% (663 cases) during 2020.Odisha was next in the list with 7.54% (624) followed by Telangana at 6.9% (573). The above top five states reported 74.17% of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Tribes.
Cases of rape against schedule caste women account for 6.70% (3372 cases) of the total cases reported. Cases of rape, attempt to rape and assault on women to outrage her modesty cumulatively stood at 12.6% (6835). Similarly, cases of rape against Schedule Tribe women stood at 13.7% (1,137 cases) of the total cases reported. Cases of rape, attempt to rape and assault on women to outrage her modesty cumulatively stood at 24.7% (2,047).
Cases of murder, attempt to murder and grievous hurt were reported as 855, 119 and 1,587 respectively against Scheduled Caste. Similarly for Scheduled Tribes, cases of murder, attempt to murder and grievous hurt were reported as 172, 144 and 125 respectively. When the country was still pleading for the justice for Dalit women, incidents of violence against Dalit Women in Delhi, Chhattarpur, Bijnaur emerged as a shock for the nation.
Even after more than five years of passage of new provisions, SCs and STs (PoA) Amendment Act is not being enforced in a proper manner
Total of 68,456 cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes were pending for investigation at the end of the year 2020, including previous year cases. Similarly, 11,200 Cases of atrocities against Schedule Tribe were pending for investigation. A total of 48,560 cases of atrocities against SCs and 7840 Cases of atrocities against STs were disposed off by police. Charge sheeting percentage for the atrocities against Scheduled Castes ended with 80.6% and 82.7% for Scheduled Tribes.
A total of 2,30,653 cases of atrocities against SCs and 36652 cases of atrocities against STs came for trial in the court. Out of these cases, trials in 7,637 of atrocities against SCs were completed and 1,219 cases for STs. Conviction percentage under the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in conjunction with IPC remained at 42.4% for SCs and 28.5 % for STs.
The acquittal percentage (includes acquittal as well as the cases where the accused is discharged) ended with 57.5% for SCs and 71.5% for STs. At the end of the year 96.7 % of cases of atrocities against SCs were pending whereas for STs, the percentage stood at 96.6 %.
Even after the amendments came in force in year 2016, which generated a hope to the Dalit and Adivasis victims in accessing speedy justice, again the concern remains is the implementation of the amended SCs and STs (PoA) Amended Act 2015 as the experience says that even after the passage of more than five years the new provisions of SCs and STs (PoA) Amendment Act 2015 are not being enforced in a proper manner.
With the audacity with which crimes are conducted it is very much evident that there is complete absence of fear. Shoddy law and governance is very much responsible for encouraging the perpetrators to get away with the crimes.
Escalating atrocities against Dalit and Adivasis across the country even in pandemic shows that Dalits and Adivasis communities are still suffering from inhuman atrocities like murders and mass- murders, social boycott and economic boycott, mass arsons, rapes, gang rapes etc. These are only a few examples, large number of the cases go unreported and are often compromised.
The Government of India that they must:
  • Robustly, enforce and implement the new provisions of the amended SCs and STs (PoA) Act 1989.
  • Take swift and robust action against the dominant caste perpetrators violating the human rights of Dalits and Adivasis.
  • Conduct an open and transparent investigation under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 and prosecute those Government and police officials who are found to have aided and abetted criminals.
  • Robustly implement the exclusive special courts mandated in the amended act for speedy trials.
---
*General Secretary, National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ)-NCDHR & Secretariat In-charge, National Coalition for Strengthening the POA Act and Its Implementation (NCSPA)

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.
Post a Comment
»

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.
Post a Comment
»

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Post a Comment
»

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.
Post a Comment
»

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.
Post a Comment
»

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 
Post a Comment
»

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.
Post a Comment
»

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.
Post a Comment
»

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.
Post a Comment
»