NEW DELHI: Dalit organisations said the country’s elected representatives and political parties should take responsibility for the failure to protect the lower-caste and Adivasi communities after the latest NCRB data shows the conviction percentage under the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in conjunction with the IPC remained at 32.1% for SCs and 26.4% for STs.
They demanded immediate action to end atrocities against Dalit and Adivasis and that they would not trust mere promises anymore, said a statement from the National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ)- NCDHR — a coalition of Dalit rights group, and National Coalition for Strengthening SCs and STs (PoA) Act — a platform of more than 500 Dalits and Adivasis civil society organisations, communities, leaders and activists.
The groups called for effective implementation of the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and that swift action must be taken against the dominant caste perpetrators violating the human rights of Dalits.
The cases should be transparently investigated, they said.
A total of 62,195 cases of atrocities against scheduled castes remained pending for investigation at the end of the year 2019, including previous year cases — an analysis by the platforms showed.
Similarly, 10,878 cases of atrocities against schedule tribes were pending for investigation. At the end of the year, 93.8% of cases of atrocities against SCs remained pending whereas for STs, the percentage stood at 91.4%.
The latest data showed crimes against scheduled caste have increased by 7.3% as compared to 2018.
The data comes amid a nationwide uproar over the alleged gang-rape of a Dalit girl and the way the UP police handled her cremation.