THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In India, caste-based discrimination and abuse have existed for centuries. Despite constitutional protections and laws like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the reality on the ground remains deeply painful for millions of Dalits.
The case involving Palaash Muchhal and Vigyan Prakash Mane has once again brought this uncomfortable truth into the spotlight. But for every case that makes headlines, countless others never see the light of day.
Casteist abuse is not a rare occurrence. It happens in workplaces, in neighbourhoods, on roads, and even between people who consider themselves friends or associates. When a person from a so-called upper caste feels cornered, threatened, or challenged by a Dalit, caste slurs are often the first weapon they reach for. It is not just an insult. It is a reminder. A reminder that no matter how educated, how successful, or how respected a Dalit person becomes, there are those who will always try to reduce them to their birth. That is the cruelty at the heart of casteism.
What makes this kind of abuse even more painful is that it often happens in private, away from witnesses. The abuser knows this. They know that their word will carry more weight in society. They know that the victim will think twice before going to the police. And sadly, they are often right.
When a Dalit person walks into a police station to report caste-based abuse, they do not always find justice waiting for them. In many parts of India, police officers themselves carry deep-rooted caste prejudices. Cases are dismissed as personal disputes. Complaints are discouraged or delayed. Victims are told to settle the matter quietly. The FIR that should be filed in minutes can take days, weeks, or simply never happen at all. This is not an accident. It is a reflection of a system that was built within a caste-conscious society and has not fully shed those biases.
The numbers tell a grim story. According to government data, crimes against Dalits continue to rise year after year, yet conviction rates remain very low. This gap between reported crimes and actual justice is not just a legal failure. It is a social one. It tells Dalit communities that their pain is not a priority. That their dignity is negotiable. That justice is available, but perhaps not for them.
Fear also plays a powerful role in keeping cases unreported. In rural areas especially, Dalits often depend on upper-caste landowners or employers for their livelihoods. Speaking up can mean losing a job, being socially boycotted, or even facing physical danger. The abuser’s community closes ranks. The victim stands alone. In such an environment, silence becomes the only option that feels safe, even if it is deeply unjust.
Even when cases do get registered, the journey is exhausting. Victims face social pressure to withdraw complaints. They are painted as troublemakers or opportunists. Their character is questioned while the accused is defended. The legal process, which should be a path to justice, often becomes another form of suffering.
The Muchhal case stands out partly because the complainant had the courage, the awareness, and arguably the social connections to push the case forward. Most Dalit victims do not have those advantages. They face abuse in silence, carry the wound alone, and watch their abusers walk free with confidence.
What India needs is not just stronger laws, but a genuine change in attitude at every level — in police stations, in courtrooms, in workplaces, and in neighbourhoods. Dalits deserve to live with dignity. They deserve to be heard when they have been wronged. No amount of wealth, fame, or social status should give anyone the right to strip another human being of their self-respect using the accident of their birth as a weapon.
Until caste prejudice is honestly confronted rather than quietly tolerated, justice for Dalits will remain more of a promise than a reality.
References
1.https://www.desiblitz.com/content/palaash-muchhal-faces-charges-amidst-casteist-abuse-claims
2.https://www.newsx.com/entertainment/who-is-vidnyan-mane-marathi-actor-and-producer-and-smriti-mandhanas-childhood-friend-files-fir-against-palash-muchhal-over-alleged-casteist-remark-213432/
