What has changed in these 75 years since independence? Different people will have different answers. Savarnas have changed their methods of oppressing Dalits, and Dalits have changed their strategies of dissent. But discrimination, untouchability, harassment, exploitation, and violence against Dalits are very much a ground reality even today. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there were 25 crimes/atrocities – registered under the Scheduled Castes-Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act – against Scheduled Castes (SC) for every 100,000 of their population in the year 2020. According to the Home Ministry, 53,886 cases were registered under the SC-ST (PoA) Act in 2020, up from 49,608 in the previous year. The rate of crimes against Dalits is in all probability much higher, as the SC-ST (PoA) Act is often not invoked while registering an FIR due to caste prejudices of the police administration.
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