Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has recorded the maximum crimes against Dalits, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data have revealed. As per the NCRB's 2021 annual report, crimes against Dalits increased in the state in 2021 as compared to the preceding two years. Out of the 50,744 cases registered in 2021 against Dalits across the country, 13,146 cases were reported only in Uttar Pradesh.
Likewise, in 2020, out of 50,202 cases across the country, 12,714 cases were reported in UP. In 2019, out of 45,876 cases, 11,829 cases were registered in the state. According to the latest NCRB report, 671 cases of sexual abuse against Dalit women were registered in the country in 2021, out of which UP has the highest number of 176 cases. In 2020, 132 such cases were registered in the state.
In 2021, 198 Dalits were killed and in 2020 there were 214 murders across the country as per the NCRB report. Rajasthan is second and Madhya Pradesh is in third place in terms of crimes against Dalits. According to the NCRB report, in 2021, 7,524 cases of crimes against Dalits in Rajasthan and 7,214 in Madhya Pradesh have been reported.
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However, the MP police are ahead of the UP police in filing the chargesheet in the cases registered against Dalits. Prof Kaviraj says that the hatred against Dalits, which had abated over the years, has reared its head once again. Prof Kaviraj said that the cases of crime against Dalits as projected by the NCRB could be under-reported and the cases could be more.
He also alleged apathy by the BJP government at the Centre for the rising crimes against Dalits, who he said, “Do not vote for the party. There are no Dalits anywhere in the heart and mind of BJP. That's why Dalits are getting crushed during this government rule,” he said. Samajwadi Party leader Manoj Yadava said that atrocities against Dalits are increasing in the Yogi government adding that “neither women nor Dalits are safe in the state”.
BJP spokesperson Ashok Pandey while reacting to the SP leader's allegation said that the party “which withdrew the case of terrorists is talking about Dalits”. “The children of the state know how much more atrocities have happened under the SP government. In our government, the FIR is registered on every complaint, and the figures are showing that”, Pandey said.
Political analyst Raghavendra Tripathi also believes that in the earlier governments, Dalits, especially the poor Dalits, “were not heard in the police stations”. “But under the Yogi Adityanath government, cases are being registered in police stations, which is why the number of crimes is also visible,” he said. “However, the responsibility of reducing this number is also the responsibility of the government. Strict action should be taken against the criminals so that atrocities against Dalit can be stopped”.
