Former “Untouchables” Protest Decrease Of Rights
Terrible riots have taken place across India to protest the decreasing rights of Dalits, formerly called the “untouchables.”
Riots Over Religious Court Ruling In India[/tweetthis]
In some areas of India the internet was shut down and the army was on standby because of the Indian Supreme Court Ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989. The act was designed to protect those at the very bottom of the Hindu social class, the Dalits.
The caste system, which is historically linked to Hinduism, was officially banned over 50 years ago. However, widespread discrimination and violence still exists. Crimes against the Dalits have increased over recent years and around ninety percent of all crimes are not properly investigated.
I am against violence, says @jigneshmevani80 to @gopimaniar
More videos: https://t.co/Nounxo6IKQ #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/wwILyfnTqh— India Today (@IndiaToday) April 2, 2018
Members of the group claim special protection is needed. It is unclear if the Indian government will create new protections for the Dalits.
There are over 200 million Dalits in India.