The shockingly low conviction rate of 12.2% in Tamil Nadu in cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes was significant lower than the national average of 31.9% as per the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data and was a result of “political disempowerment of Dalits” in the last few decades, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi general secretary and Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar has said .
Referring to the recent NCRB data for 2023, Mr. Ravikumar said on Wednesday, “Even though crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) have increased across India, the situation in Tamil Nadu is particularly shocking. A total of 1,921 crimes were committed against the SC community people in the State in 2023. In 2021, the number was 1,377 and it increased by around 400 cases to 1,761 in 2022. In 2023, it rose further to 1,921.”
He further said while crimes against the SC people had decreased in 2023 compared to 2022 in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, Tamil Nadu had recorded an increase.
“In 2023, 74 Dalits were murdered in Tamil Nadu. Sexual violence against Dalit women has also increased. In 2023, 135 Dalit women were raped in Tamil Nadu — of these, 100 were minor girls. Rape of minor girls belonging to Scheduled Castes is particularly high only in six States in India: Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is one of the four states where riots against SC communities occur in high numbers.,” he said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ravikumar claimed that both the DMK and the AIADMK woo the Other Backward Class (OBC) voters, not by extending welfare measures to them, but by showing them that they were willing to ignore the interests and aspirations of the Scheduled Castes in Tamil Nadu.
“In Bihar, Dalit votes were important for the victory of the National Democratic Alliance. Chirag Paswan, of Lok Jan Shakthi Party, was empowered with 29 seats. A majority of the SC sub-castes supported the alliance overwhelmingly. However, in Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian parties dog whistle the OBC voters by showing that they are ready to ignore the demands, aspirations and rights of the Dalits. This reminds us of the Hindutva tactic of getting the votes of the Hindu majority in North India, by systematically denying Muslims their rights, ignoring their demands and discarding their aspirations.”
Mr. Ravikumar said, “Nowhere in India, the Dalits have been sidelined like they have been in Tamil Nadu – politically, economically and socially. Atrocities are more in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Rajasthan but conviction rate is more. The conviction rate is more because Dalits are politically empowered…unlike in Tamil Nadu.”
Published – November 19, 2025 11:41 pm IST
