Sparks flew in the lok Sabha on Thursday as a debate on recent cases of Dalit atrocities turned into a blame game between treasury benches and the Opposition with both sides questioning each other’s track record in taking welfare measures for the Dalits and providing them protection and security.
While Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there is malicious propaganda that atrocities against Dalits have increased in the past two years during the Modi Government, the Congress said Dalits are living in the grip of deep sense of fear and insecurity.
Replying to a heated debate on Dalit atrocities, Singh said that blaming the Prime Minister for each and every issue is nothing but a politically motivated agenda by certain people and claimed the NDA Government has undertaken many more steps for the welfare of Dalits in two years than the Congress Governments took in 55 years of rule at the Centre. The Congress staged a walkout during the Home Minister’s speech.
Singh said it is the duty of both the Centre and States to prevent the attacks on Dalits. “This issue should not be politcialised and every State and Centre has a duty to protect and do justice to Dalits,” said the Home Minister.
Rejecting the Opposition charge that that BJP and Sangh Parivar are promoting cow vigilante groups, Singh said, “What happened in Una is condemnable and the State Government has taken action. Some anti-social elements are indulging in nefarious activities in the name of cow protection... I appeal to all State Governments to take strict possible action against them,” Singh said.
Insisting that crime against Dalits have come down since the Modi Government took over, Singh said the number of registered cases of atrocities against Dalits were 39,346 in 2013, they went up to 40,300 in 2014, and thereafter came down to 38,564 in 2015.
“We have to accept the truth that the atrocities against Dalits are going on. We have to stop them and this is a challenge for all of us,” the Home Minister said while regretting that the House had to discuss the issue even 70 years after Independence.
Countering the Opposition charge of not doing enough for Dalits, he said, “What you could not do in 55 years, our Government did in last two years”.
To questions as to why Modi did not speak on the Dalit atrocities for so long, he asked the Opposition to spell out if earlier Prime Ministers since 1947 used to speak on each and every issue. “The Prime Minister may speak or may not speak, but his aura should be such that action is taken against the perpetrators,” Singh said.
Earlier, KH Muniyappa (Cong) alleged that attacks on Dalits have reached “a level never seen in history” in Gujarat. Initiating the debate on the issue, PK Biju (CPI-M) spoke about the overall poor conditions of Dalits and cited figures to argue that they were denied equal rights despite the Constitution promising all citizens same rights.
He said every day, three Dalit women are raped and every 18 minutes a crime against Dalits occur, and added that that over 37.8 per cent of students from the community sit separately in government schools while over 24.5 per cent of them are not allowed to enter police stations.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s statement against cow vigilante groups, Biju demanded action against these outfits. “If you have got such a feedback (about attacks on Dalits by the cow protection groups), then why should you not stop such atrocitiesIJ We would like him to take strong measures,” the CPI(M) member said.
Observing that he had visited Una in Gujarat where some Dalits were flogged for skinning a cow, he said “ban it (cow vigilantes) throughout the country” and also sought measures to fill up vacancies of posts reserved for Dalits.
Muniyappa said, “Dalits are living in the grip of deep sense of fear and insecurity. They had faith in the Congress to protect them but have no faith in the BJP. ... There was no protection needed for SCs and STs earlier. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was there, such incidents never happened.”
He said quality education will bring SCs and STs to the mainstream and asked the Government to open Navodaya Schools for them. Muniyappa also raked up Union Minister VK Singh’s alleged dog analogy in a case involving Dalits and questioned why he was still in the Government. Referring to cases of atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat, he said over 14,500 such cases have occurred there so far since Modi had taken over as the Chief Minister and added that the conviction rate was only 3-5 per cent.
“This never happened in history,” he said. Muniyappa and Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) sparred for a while when the Congress leader targeted the BJD Government in Odisha over the recent killing of tribals in Kandhamal.
Defending his party, BJP’s Udit Raj said no one but the system was responsible for the atrocities on Dalits. “People are encouraged (to attack Dalits) as cases remain pending in courts for years on,” he said, adding that the debate should not get entangled in a war between BJP and Congress or BJD.
He used the opportunity to attack BSP chief Mayawati saying under her rule several attacks took place against the community and her Government did little to defend reservation in promotion policy in the Allahabad High Court. He also said the conviction rate under the Prevention of Atrocities Act varies from 2-8 per cent which was very poor.
Raj also took on the AAP government in Delhi saying it has not set up a vigilance committee to assess the progress made in cases relating to atrocities on Dalits. Saugata Roy (TMC) asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to ban VHP and ‘gau raksha dals’ saying in the name of cow protection, they were targeting Dalits and Muslims.