Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI) issued a statement today (June 30, 2025), highlighting the alarming surge in caste-based violence and calling for urgent intervention by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
CPI General Secretary D. Raja, along with National Secretary Rama Krushna Panda, met with NCSC Chairperson Mr Kishor Makwana in New Delhi and submitted a detailed memorandum demanding immediate legal and institutional action. The delegation drew attention to a particularly disturbing incident in the Dharakote Block of Ganjam district, Odisha, where two Dalit men were stripped, tonsured, mercilessly beaten, and forced to eat grass and drink drain water—an act clearly intended to terrorize and humiliate the community.
The CPI emphasized that such incidents are not isolated but reflect a troubling national pattern. The party cited a series of recent atrocities in Uttar Pradesh, including the public shaming of a Dalit family in Etawah, the deliberate killing of a Dalit woman in Bulandshahr, violent caste-based attacks during a wedding in Meerut, and assaults in Ballia. These, CPI noted, illustrate a systemic breakdown in protecting Dalit lives and ensuring the effective implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The party urged the NCSC to ensure swift action in the Ganjam case—including FIR registration under appropriate legal provisions, victim protection, and fair compensation. It also called for the Commission to actively monitor the investigation until justice is served.
In addition, CPI proposed a broader response to caste violence, recommending:
- Field visits by the NCSC to affected areas
- Direct engagement with victims and local communities
- Institutional reforms, including time-bound trials and sensitivity training for police and officials
- Enhanced enforcement backed by financial and administrative support
Chairperson Shri Kishor Makwana assured CPI representatives that the Commission would promptly investigate the Ganjam case and take appropriate measures.
Reaffirming its unwavering solidarity with Dalit communities, the CPI reiterated its demand for all constitutional bodies to act decisively to dismantle the culture of impunity that perpetuates caste-based atrocities—violations that threaten the foundational values of justice, equality, and dignity enshrined in India’s Constitution.