'Atrocities on rise against backward classes'

There has been an increasing trend in atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the last three years, Home Minister SushilKumar Shinde said Monday.

"The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs/STs) in India have been subjected to indignity, marginalisation and neglect through ages. In the last three years, the statistics on the subject reveal an increasing trend in cases of atrocities committed against these classes," Shinde said.

Addressing the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting here, Shinde said in spite of affirmative action being provided for in the constitution, the SCs and STs have still not been integrated fully into society, and continue to be subjected to atrocity.

"There is an attitude of indifference in even prosecuting the cases that have been registered under the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," he said.

"The disturbing fact is that the rate of conviction in these cases is very poor. Various pretexts are taken recourse to, and justice denied," he said.

Shinde said unless those committing the atrocities are punished, there will be no deterrence for the people who perpetrate such crimes.