Amid Pandemic, Atrocities Against Dalits See A Rise

A Dalit man in MP's Chhatarpur district has alleged that his face and body were smeared with human excreta by a man from another caste. This happened after the former accidentally touched the latter with some grease (Representational Image)

The Centre and states need to step up to clamp down on rising atrocities against Dalits amid the Covid-19 pandemic, activists have said. The pandemic has exposed the underlying social ills of untouchability and casteist attitude with the surging cases of caste and gender-based atrocities during the lockdown, they said.

The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, which has intervened in more than 80 such cases, stressed the need to draw the attention of the enforcement authorities and the judiciary towards discrimination and atrocities against Dalits, especially women and children.

“Dalits have been discriminated against through social boycott and physical assault. Untouchability and physical abuse are rampant during the pandemic. It is important to highlight that Dalit lives matter in the country,” said Dalit rights activist Paul Divakar.

Sukhadeo Thorat, former chairperson of the University Grants Commission, said Dalits have been disproportionately left out of schemes.

“Dalits are most vulnerable to exclusion and have been hard hit. The dissemination of information through various channels is very important. The impact of malnutrition and hunger will increase in the next few months. The focus has to be on employment. We need MNREGA-type schemes in urban areas as well,” he said.