NEW DELHI: Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) continued to face persecution in 2020, reveals the latest report of National Crime Records Bureau. Crimes against SCs and STs rose by 9.4% and 9.3%, respectively, compared to 2019.
Crimes against other vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, children, women and foreigners registered a dip. There was a decline also in cases of dowry deaths, human trafficking, economic offences, miscarriages, counterfeiting, acid attacks and economic offences.
Of the 28 states and nine UTs, 17 registered an increase in cases of atrocities against SCs. They were Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
Assam, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand recorded more number of atrocities against STs. Madhya Pradesh had the highest crime rate of 60.8 against SCs, followed by Rajasthan (57.4), Bihar (44.5) and Uttar Pradesh (30.7). Kerala (26.8), Rajasthan (20.3), Telangana (17.4) and Madhya Pradesh (15.7) recorded the highest crime rates against STs. Crime rate is crimes committed against per lakh population of the community in the state.
UP reported highest number of atrocities (12,714) against SCs and Madhya Pradesh reported the most number of crimes (2,401) against STs. “The country remained under complete lockdown from March 25 to May 31, during which time movement in public space was very limited. The cases registered under crimes against women, children and senior citizens, theft, burglary, robbery and dacoity have therefore declined,” the NCRB report stated.
Speaker proposes lawmakers’ meet to mark 75 yrs of Independence
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday suggested to the all India presiding officer of the legislative bodies that a mega conference of MPs and MLAs be organised to commemorate 75 years of independence. He also suggested that conferences of present and former MPs and MLAs above 75 years of age may be organised in the states. Addressing a meeting of presiding officers, Birla informed that the centenary year of Public Accounts Committee will be celebrated on December 4 and 5. He also said that a programme on “role of women and young MPs and MLAs in strengthening democratic institutions” may be organised. “Similarly, conferences of democratic institutions at different levels, including village panchayats and urban bodies, may also be organised,” he said. Birla also said that the credibility of legislatures is linked to the conduct and behaviour of their members.