Dalits seem to bear the brunt of caste-based violence in the state with 1,500 cases of atrocities reported in 2019. These include 32 murder cases, 81 assault and 97 rape cases. This indicates that on an average nearly five cases of atrocities were reported last year.
Figures between 2001 and 2019 suggest a rise in cases till 2018. In 2019, there was a nominal decrease of 45 cases than 2018, however, in 2019 the state saw three Dalit youths being stopped from riding horses in marriage processions in Arvalli, Sabarkantha and Mehsana districts by upper caste people. Recently, a Dalit youth was beaten for riding horse in his marriage in Palanpur town of Banaskantha.
In 2019, Ahmedabad reported the highest 164 cases followed by Junagadh where 102 cases were reported. Ahmedabad city also reported six murders, 16 rape cases of Dalit women and 10 cases of grievous injuries. Police committed a goof-up in invoking the atrocities act in 2019 against the director of the national award winning film 'Hellaro' who is himself a Dalit.
These figures have been obtained from an RTI plea filed in Gujarat DGP office by a civil rights activist Kaushik Parmar. Parmar said that the cases have increased as Dalits are still not being given equal treatment in society.
Source: Justice News
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