Crime Report
The latest data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) captures some anomalies and interesting trends. Every year there is an increase in atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis. The Crime in India Report 2021data has revealed that:

Atrocities/Crimes against Scheduled Castes have increased by 1.2% in 2021 (50900) over 2020 (50,291 cases). Uttar Pradesh (13,146 cases) reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) accounting for 25.82% followed by Rajasthan with 14.7% (7524) and Madhya Pradesh with 14.1% (7214) during 2021. The next two states in the list are Bihar accounting for 11.4% (5842) and Odisha 4.5% (2327). The above top five states reported 70.8% of cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes. The recent incidents of atrocities against Scheduled Castes in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana reflect the harsh realities of caste based violence against SCs and STs.

Atrocities/Crimes against Scheduled Tribes have increased by 6.4% in 2021 (8,802 cases) over 2020 (8,272 cases). Cases of Rape against Schedule Tribe women stood at 15% (1324 cases) of the total cases reported. Cases of Rape, Attempt to rape, Assault on women to outrage her modesty, and kidnapping cumulatively stood at 26.8% (2364 cases). Cases of Murder, Attempt to murder and Grievous hurt were reported as 967, 916 and 1286 respectively against Scheduled Caste. Similarly for Scheduled Tribes, Cases of Murder, Attempt to murder and Grievous hurt were reported as 199,148 and 114 respectively.

Even after the amendments came in force in year 2016, which generated a hope to the Dalit and Adivasi victims in accessing speedy justice, the implementation of the amended SCs and STs (PoA) Amended Act 2015 remains a challenge.
Mr Rahul Singh
General Secretary
National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ)-NCD

Living with Nothing
Neelakka Modem and her family, along with 700 others, were forced to abandon their homes in Somanpalli village in Gadchiroli district after heavy rains in July triggered massive floods. They have been camping along a national highway ever since.

"The authorities came in the middle of the night and asked us to move to safety. We left with nothing but the clothes we were wearing," Ms Modem, 70, recalled.

The state government has provided food and water, but living by the highway carries risks–speeding vehicles, wild animals, including deadly snakes, are common in this region which is home to dense tropical forests.

Back in the village, Ms Modem's son Madhukar, a farm labourer, is trying to salvage whatever he can from their destroyed house. But Ms Modem wonders if they will ever go back.

"We can't live there anymore - the place is inhabitable. The government should rehabilitate us elsewhere," she said.

Heavy rainfall is common during the monsoon in Gadchiroli district, which is surrounded by forests. Here, the Godavari river, the second longest in India, along with its tributaries, forms a flood-prone zone between June and September. During those months, it often overflows and enters the villages.

But residents say the flooding has become worse in recent years.

Torrential rains this year between 11 July and 19 July left a trail of devastation- at least 34 of the 52 towns and villages along the riverbank in Gadchiroli were submerged for days, while three of them, including Somanpalli, were almost wiped out as water levels rose to their highest point in 35 years.

The rains have stopped now, but people are yet to return home or start rebuilding their lives.
Janhavee Moole, Maharashtra

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Frontier
Vol 55, No. 18, Oct 30 - Nov 5, 2022