Why Do Dalits & Adivasis Still Face Injustice After 75 Years of Independence

Even after 75 years of Independence, Dalits and Adivasis, continue to face atrocities and deprivation.

(Designed by Aroop Mishra / The Quint)

English Script: Mayank Chawla

Video Editors: Puneet Bhatia, Abhishek Sharma

As India celebrated 75 years of Independence this 15 August, the government gave the slogan of Har Ghar Tiranga. But at the same time, Adivasi houses were being burnt in Odisha's Nabarangpur. Their fields were being destroyed. In another part of the country, a Dalit student was beaten up by a teacher because he drank water from the teacher's pot in a school in Rajasthan. The student succumbed to his injuries.

India may have gotten its first tribal president in the form of Draupadi Murmu, but has it made any positive impact on the suffering of the tribals and Dalits in the country?

Tragedies Like Jalore and Nabarangpur Are Not Rare

Tribals account for 8.6% of the total population of India i.e. about 10 crore. The Indian Constitution categorises the Adivasi community under 'Scheduled Tribe.' According to the 2012 UN report by the Working Group on Human Rights, about 65 million people have been displaced in India since independence – which is the highest in any country in the world. This report shows that about 40 percent of the total displaced, or about 26 million, are from the tribal community. This means that about one-fourth of the total population of tribals i.e. 25 percent has been displaced so far.

Employment to Adivasis and Dalits

About 5 lakh reserved jobs have vanished in the last 6 years. In 2014-15, about 14 lakh people from the reserved category were employed in central government jobs, while only 9 lakh remained in 2020-21. It is true that government jobs are decreasing for everyone, but people from the affluent sections find it relatively easier to bag private sector jobs due to their families' background. They may even resort to getting into private business owing to the backing of their families. That's why, if the Dalits and Adivasis do not have access to government jobs, then their upliftment is hindered.

In response to a question asked to the prime minister in Parliament in July 2022, the Centre said that in 10 government departments, 53,293 reserved posts out of 85,777 posts remain vacant. That is 62% of the total reserved posts.

According to the National Confederation of Dalit and Tribal Organisations (NAACDOR), 2,28,258 Adivasis were employed at different posts in all the ministries and departments of the central government in 2014-15, while only 1,47,953 Adivasis were employed in 2020-21. It means that 80,305 posts were reduced in 7 years.

When it comes to Dalits, 5,18,632 persons were employed in the central government jobs in 2014-15, but the number reduced to 3,36,927 in 2020-21.

Crimes Against Dalits and Adivasis

According to the information given in Parliament, there has been a 26 percent increase in crimes against tribals between 2018 and 2020. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 6,528 cases of atrocities against Scheduled Tribes (STs) were registered in 2018, while the number was 7,570 in 2019 and 8272 in 2020.

Union Minister of State for Home. Ajay Kumar Mishra, earlier told the Lok Sabha that in the year 2018, 42,793 cases of atrocities against Dalits were reported while 45,935 cases were reported in 2019. In 2020, this figure increased to 50,291.

Even after 75 years of Independence, if Dalits and Adivasis, who comprise about one-fourth of the population, continue to face atrocities and deprivation, then we will definitely ask – Janab, Aise Kaise?