Crimes against Dalits continued to rise despite a nationwide lockdown. The National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ) has documented more than 100 cases of atrocities from April to June that include lynchings, untouchability practices, mass atrocities and violence against Dalit women.

While the term social distancing further reinforced the caste exclusion and atrocities against Dalits during the pandemic, dominant castes began to openly exhibit their animosity and anti-social attitudes.

Caste begins to haunt Tamil Nadu as evident from various panchayat presidents alleged discrimination in the name of caste. The issue also gets a gender dimension as all of those who faced discrimination were women.

Ironically, it happened in a state with a strong history of anti-caste struggles. Dravidian parties which have played a major role in 

the fight against Brahmin domination and untouchability were the leading forces in Tamil politics now.

This was a sure sign of moral decay of the Dravidian parties which was built on strong anti-casteist and atheist ideology.

The incidents in Tamil Nadu started when a woman Dalit panchayat president in Cudalore district was allegedly humiliated by the vice president who did not allow her to sit on a chair at meetings or hoist the national flag.

These disgraceful events led to an outrage in social media after a photograph of S. Rajeswari, president of Therku Thittai village under Mel Buvanagiri Panchayat Union sitting on the floor at a meeting while others were seated on chairs went viral. This prompted authorities to swing into action.

In a similar incident, a woman Dalit panchayat president in Mayiladuthurai of 

Nagapattinam district has alleged discrimination by members of the panchayat. She caste was sidelined and insulted by her non-Dalit colleagues. She sat on a dharna against caste discrimination in the workplace.

In another case, Uma Devi, a Dalit woman union chairperson from Pudhukottai district, alleged that her name was not listed with names of other representatives on the display of a newly constructed bus stand because of caste discrimination.

A dispute over a loan in a village in Tamil Nadu led to the murder of two people from the Dhobi caste by a group from the Thevar community. Babu Pawar and his two sons from the denotified Pardhi community were brutally killed by the dominant Marathas over a land dispute.

A 16-year-old boy in Uttar Pradesh was shot dead inside his home for going to a temple. A 20-year-old Dalit college student was killed by Maratha men for being in a relationship with a woman from their community. Dalit women became especially vulnerable to sexual violence and other crimes during this time

In Maharashtra, rumors were spread about a Dalit man and his family being COVID positive. They were attacked and asked to leave the village.

In Haryana, the Gujjar community attacked a Dalit family for not switching off the lights at 9 p.m. on April 5, as suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In Andhra Pradesh, Dr K. Sudhakar, an anesthetist, was brutally dragged through the streets with his hands tied behind his back because he reported difficulties regarding PPE Kits.

In Rajasthan, a Dalit youth was beaten up by members of the Jat community for opening his essential items shop during the lockdown and keeping a photograph of B.R. Ambedkar.

A domestic worker in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was repeatedly beaten up for raising her voice against the denial of ration.

Several instances of gang rape were reported from across Uttar Pradesh. In one gruesome case, a Dalit woman was kept hostage by five influential people of a village for 8 hours on her wedding day and gang-raped several times. In an instance of mass violence at Jaunpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, over a dozen hutments were set ablaze and 14 houses damaged.

Dr. Thol Thirumavalavan, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, said, “Caste-based violence against Dalits is escalating as we fight to claim justice. The number of cases is growing and the brutality of the crimes is becoming increasingly severe. Systems of justice meant to protect Dalits at the national level are completely failing us. We are asking for immediate global call and support in our struggle.

Courtesy Divya Trivedi, Sabloo Thomas