Andhra Pradesh is the most vulnerable state in south India for Dalits, accounting for around 9.8 per cent of the total crimes reported in the country, according to the latest NCRB data.
While Andhra is the fourth state overall after Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, a total of 4,415 cases were reported across the state in 2015.
Reporting for Deccan Chronicle, K K Abdul Rahoof writes:
A state with more than 84 lakh Dalits, AP has the second largest rate of violence against Scheduled Castes in the country after Rajasthan, as per the population ratio...the data shows that Dalit women face sexual harassment frequently in the state. More than 300 women faced various degrees of sexual assault. More than 100 women were raped, while others were molested. As many as 21 women were stripped by the perpetrators in various places in AP last year.
Speaking to DC, A Dalit leader B Laxmaiah said "Sangh Parivar’s own militant units target Dalits in the state, and the governments, in the Centre and state, are inactive because they are extreme Right wing in nature. This has worsened the situation and made lower castes more vulnerable to violence."