Anti-Dalit atrocities in India condemned

Several groups express solidarity with Dalits against cow vigilantes

LONDON: An anti-caste discrimination alliance strongly condemned the increasing incidents of violence against Dalits and other minorities in India, the so-called “cow vigilantism”, and the failure of the authorities to provide justice to victims of these crimes.

According to a joint statement, leaders from several groups and charities from across Britain, said they stood in solidarity with protests in Una, Gujarat and around the world, including the UK and the USA against these rising atrocities.

Dalits are severely discriminated against in a class-based Indian society. On July 11, four Dalit men were partly stripped, tied to a car and subjected to public flogging by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow in Una, Gujarat, the press release said.

“Today we have submitted a joint statement to the UK government, asking them to call on the government of India to take stern action against the perpetrators and prosecute government and police officials responsible for aiding and abetting these criminals,” it added. “We have also submitted a joint statement to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Secretary General, asking them to intervene and send a team immediately to investigate the situation on the ground in Una, Gujarat and look into caste-based discrimination in India.”

The statement called on the Indian government to outlaw “untouchability” and take steps aimed at helping uplift the Dalits and scheduled tribes. It demanded “an open and transparent investigation,” and prosecution of officials involved in abetting criminals.

The statement was issued jointly by Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance, Asian Rationalists, AWAAZ South Asia Network, Bhagwan Valmik Mandirs (Bedford, Birmingham, Coventry, Oxford, Southall, Wolverhampton), Dr Ambedkar Buddhist organisation Birmingham UK, Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK, India Matters UK, India Workers Association GB, Indian Scheduled Caste Welfare Association UK, Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha (Bedford, Derby), Shri Guru Ravidass Cultural Association Darlaston, and The Monitoring Group.

The rights groups said that in Gujarat and other states in India, the Dalit community involved in traditional jobs are now being targeted by the dominant caste groups under the guise of cow protection and Hindu nationalism.

“Caste apartheid and economic factors already force Dalits into descent-based occupations that include cleaning of the dead animal carcasses, tanning of leather, bonded labour and manual scavenging. When Dalits assert their human rights to an education or to better jobs, the dominant caste groups are finding new ways to terrorise them including public floggings, harassing families, rape and punishment rape, stripping Dalit women and parading them naked in the streets, and social exclusion in villages. PhD student Rohit Vemula’s suicide in Hyderabad this January is but one of most prominent of many examples,” it said.

According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have reported the highest rates against scheduled castes show an almost 40% increase of crime against Dalits all over India between 2011 and 2014. In 2015, Gujarat reported the highest crime rate against Dalits up a staggering 163.3% (6,655 cases) followed by Chhattisgarh at 91.9% (3,008 cases). UP reported the most number of cases of crime against Dalits at 8,946. Sexual assaults against women and rape are top crimes against scheduled castes. “It’s a form of control society that is honour-based. These crime figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Many crimes are not reported. Many that are reported to the authorities are not processed by officials and the police. As a result they do not feature in the official records. We will continue to monitor such atrocities and demand justice for the victims of Caste oppression,” said the right groups.