Far away from a casteless society
Violence against Dalits will end only when there’s a transformative shift in politics
Eight days after four Dailt tannery workers were stripped, tied and beaten up at Gir Somnath district’s Una taluka in Gujarat for skinning a dead cow, the issue resonated strongly in Parliament on Wednesday. The Congress, BSP and other parties forced two disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, accusing the government of not acting against Dalit atrocities. Home minister Rajnath Singh condemned the violence and said, “We must get a permanent solution to such incidents. The mindset has to change”.
Indeed that’s a commendable desire, but then it is easier said than done. Here’s a reality check: According to National Crimes Records Bureau, crimes against Dalits are rising: 47,064 cases were registered in 2014, up from 39,408 in 2013 and 33,655 in 2012. An International Dalit Solidarity Network report has a few explanations for the reasons behind such unending aggression: First, dominant castes are using violence against Dalits to reinforce the hierarchical power structures and suppress Dalit rights assertions and claims. Second, the access to justice for Dalits is limited. For instance, at the end of 2014, 85% crimes against the Dalits filed under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act were pending trial, while 25 % were awaiting trial investigations across the country. Convictions were awarded in only 28% of cases in 2014 that completed trial. Third is a severe lack of empathy on the part of administrators. Dalit human rights defenders, says the report, attempting to help victims of injustice, have found themselves at the receiving end of police violence and torture, intimidation, harassment and in some cases have been even murdered. Here’s another example that illustrates the point: The BJP government in Maharashtra demolished a house where the iconic Dalit leader BR Ambedkar had a printing press. Which community would not be aggrieved if such treatment is inflicted on structures they hold dear? Think about how Indians react when the Mahatma’s photo is misused by people abroad.
While we do need a social and mindset change to end such violence, what India needs more is transformative politics that doesn’t exploit the Ambedkar legacy for political gains but actually fulfils the leader’s dream of a casteless society.