BOOM

Trending Searches

    SUPPORT
    BOOM

    Trending News

      • Fact Check 
        • Fast Check
        • Politics
        • Business
        • Entertainment
        • Social
        • Sports
        • World
      • Law
      • Explainers
      • News 
        • All News
      • Decode 
        • Impact
        • Scamcheck
        • Life
        • Voices
      • Media Buddhi 
        • Digital Buddhi
        • Senior Citizens
        • Videos
      • Web Stories
      • BOOM Research
      • BOOM Labs
      • Deepfake Tracker
      • Videos 
        • Facts Neeti
      • Home-icon
        Home
      • About Us-icon
        About Us
      • Authors-icon
        Authors
      • Team-icon
        Team
      • Careers-icon
        Careers
      • Internship-icon
        Internship
      • Contact Us-icon
        Contact Us
      • Methodology-icon
        Methodology
      • Correction Policy-icon
        Correction Policy
      • Non-Partnership Policy-icon
        Non-Partnership Policy
      • Cookie Policy-icon
        Cookie Policy
      • Grievance Redressal-icon
        Grievance Redressal
      • Republishing Guidelines-icon
        Republishing Guidelines
      • Fact Check-icon
        Fact Check
        Fast Check
        Politics
        Business
        Entertainment
        Social
        Sports
        World
      • Law-icon
        Law
      • Explainers-icon
        Explainers
      • News-icon
        News
        All News
      • Decode-icon
        Decode
        Impact
        Scamcheck
        Life
        Voices
      • Media Buddhi-icon
        Media Buddhi
        Digital Buddhi
        Senior Citizens
        Videos
      • Web Stories-icon
        Web Stories
      • BOOM Research-icon
        BOOM Research
      • BOOM Labs-icon
        BOOM Labs
      • Deepfake Tracker-icon
        Deepfake Tracker
      • Videos-icon
        Videos
        Facts Neeti
      Trending Tags
      TRENDING
      • #Operation Sindoor
      • #Pahalgam Terror Attack
      • #Narendra Modi
      • #Rahul Gandhi
      • #Waqf Amendment Bill
      • #Arvind Kejriwal
      • #Deepfake
      • #Artificial Intelligence
      • Home
      • Explainers
      • Crimes Against Scheduled Tribes On...
      Explainers

      Crimes Against Scheduled Tribes On The Rise In India, But It's More Than A Law and Order Problem

      Over the decade, crime rate against the scheduled tribes in India have shot up by nearly 50%, cases pending police investigation up by 68.1%

      By - Nidhi Jacob |
      Published -  14 July 2023 9:00 AM IST
    • Boomlive
      Listen to this Article
      Crimes Against Scheduled Tribes On The Rise In India, But Its More Than A Law and Order Problem

      Madhya Pradesh is once again in the spotlight for atrocities against the Adivasi community.

      On July 4, 2023, a video of a man urinating on a tribal person in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh went viral on social media. Shortly after, on July 8, another footage of an assault of two tribal boys by a group of men in Madhya Pradesh was reported by The Hindu.

      However, these incidents cannot be seen as isolated cases, but rather stemming from systemic issues, experts told BOOM.

      Over the decade to 2021, crime rate against the scheduled tribes or adivasis in India have shot up by nearly 50%, from 5.68 crimes per 100,000 adivasis registered in 2012 to 8.4 crimes in 2021, as per BOOM’s analysis of National Crime Record Bureau’s data between 2012 and 2021, the latest available.

      Further, cases pending police investigation in the country increased by 68.1%, from 1,974 cases in 2012 to 3,320 in 2021. While pendency in courts has risen by 23.5%, conviction rates also rose by 25%.

      When compared between two political regimes (UPA and the NDA), from 2009 to 2019, there’s been a steady increase in crimes against scheduled tribes, a surge by nearly 40%, from 5,425 registered crimes to 7,570 in 2019.

      Kerala, Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh report highest crime rates against STs

      Madhya Pradesh is home to the country’s highest population of Adivasis — with over 1.53 crore people, as per the 2011 census, the latest available data. In 2021, MP recorded a crime rate of 17.2. This means that for every one lakh adivasis, the state reported around 17 crimes against them.

      However, in 2021 Kerala and Rajasthan have reported the highest crime rate against adivasis, with 27 and 23 cases reported per one lakh population, respectively. The three states have recorded a significantly higher crime rate than the national average of 8.4. Here, NCRB refers to atrocities committed against STs by non-STs.

      In absolute terms or total registered incidences, Madhya Pradesh (2,627) reported the most number of registered cases against adivasis – a 9.4% increase from 2020. In fact, 2021 was the year with the highest number of cases against adivasis since 2009, NCRB data show.

      Further, in 2021, the conviction rate in Madhya Pradesh stood at only 36%, a marginal increase from 34.3 in 2021 and pendency in courts increased from 92.1% in 2020 to 96% in 2021.

      Non-inclusion of data

      Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of crimes under simple hurt (1,304), rape (376), sexual harassment (89) and murder (52) in 2021. However experts say only specific kinds of violence gets reported in official records. “There are cases of forced evictions of adivasi homes, displacement, conflicts with the forest authorities which are not recorded officially,” Nitin Varghese, an activist with Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, a non-profit organisation that works with adivasis and dalits in Madhya Pradesh told BOOM.

      Further he said that there are many instances of custodial torture and state-led violence. “Our own adivasi activists have been picked up by forest department officials and tortured in custody,” said Varghese.

      “Another instance is that of bonded labour which is rampant in Bhanwari in Madhya Pradesh but the state will never accept that it exists. They are not paid minimum wages and are not allowed to leave these workplaces,” said Varghese.

      “The tribal community are vary of approaching the criminal justice system for redressal. When they go to the police to complain, police officials generally push for mediation in most cases,” he added.

      Crimes against adivasis more than a law and order problem

      While The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, guarantees adequate protection from atrocities against people from the marginalised communities, implementation of this legislation is ineffective, say experts.

      According to Sujit Kumar, Assistant professor, School of Development, at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, crimes against adivasis is mainly an institutional problem rather than only a law and order one.

      The key hindrance to the implementation of the Act is the deep-rooted historical prejudices in Indian society which have excluded the participation of adivasis in governance, sharing of political power, distribution and control of economic resources, said Shomona Khanna, advocate at the Supreme Court of India and former legal advisor to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

      Criminalisation of Adivasis and the Indian Legal System, a book that Khanna co-authored says, “Dominant castes and classes use a multiplicity of violent methods to prevent the social and political mobility of marginalised groups such as dalits and adivasis. This includes systematic discrimination, physical and sexual violence and the abhorrent practice of untouchability, among others. Against the tribal peoples, these mechanisms also include persistent attacks on their traditional lands and resources..”

      Similarly, Kumar said that certain perceptions have reinforced historical and cultural stigmatisation of the adivasi community. “There’s a mentality that they are uncivilised and hence have to be treated in a particular way,” said Kumar.

      Tags

      Crimes against Scheduled TribesLaw and OrderAdivasisPoliceMADHYA PRADESH
      Read Full Article
      Next Story
      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker. Please reload after ad blocker is disabled.
      X

      Subscribe to BOOM Newsletters

      👉 No spam, no paywall — but verified insights.

      Please enter a Email Address
      Subscribe for free!

      Stay Ahead of Misinformation!

      Please enter a Email Address
      Subscribe Now🛡️ 100% Privacy Protected | No Spam, Just Facts
      By subscribing, you agree with the Terms & conditions and Privacy Policy connected to the offer

      Thank you for subscribing!

      You’re now part of the BOOM community.

      Or, Subscribe to receive latest news via email
      Subscribed Successfully...
      Copy HTMLHTML is copied!
      There's no data to copy!