Third of India’s crime in UP; Akhilesh, are you listening?

Whether it is Mayawati or Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh (UP) cannot easily shirk off its notorious distinction of pervasive criminality - according to the latest data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), it is the most criminal state for yet another year. In 2011, about a third of all crimes in India occurred in Uttar Pradesh. It has also accounted for the highest number of violent crimes and murders, as well as crimes against scheduled castes and tribes, kidnapping and abduction; and dowry deaths. Its record of crime is so high that the next most criminal state, Tamil Nadu, has a crime rate that is three times lower. While UP recorded an overall crime rate of 33.4 percent, Tamil Nadu, which moved up from a third position last year, has recorded a rate of only 11.5 percent. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are next in line with 7.2 percent and 6.7 percent respectively. [caption id=“attachment_366640” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] UP recorded an overall crime rate of 33.4 percent. PTI[/caption] The data seems to indicate that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has worsened in 2011 compared to the previous year, while in Andhra it has improved. While the crime rate in Andhra declined impressively from 13.9 percent to 7.2 percent, the rate in Tamil Nadu went up from 10.4 percent to 11.5 percent. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who had announced restoration of law and order as one of her top priorities on assuming office in May 2011, does have a tough challenge ahead of her. This, perhaps cannot be brushed aside as a result of the alleged misrule of the previous government because the crime record in 2010 was marginally better. The policy note by the state, however, shows a worsening of the law and order situation during the DMK regime, which probably could have spilled over. Similarly, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh will be well justified in their claims of better rule of law in the state. Uttar Pradesh, however, requires a drastic change in the style of governance. For years together, it topped the list in several forms of crime. The state requires a complete socio-political overhaul. A breakdown of the statistics gives a bird’s eye view of the landscape of crime in India. At 37.2 percent, one third of the crimes in the country in 2011 belonged to the IPC category (those charged under the Indian Penal Code) while the rest were under SLL (special and local laws). While there was a rise of 2.5 percent in IPC crimes compared to last year, the SLL crimes recorded a fall of 7.5 percent. Most of the crime trends in the country recorded last year continued in 2011 as well. For instance, the small state of Puducherry continues to top the IPC crimes in the country: 350.6 percent, which is 1.8 times the national average. Interestingly, the big cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta recorded lower rates of crime compared to their state-averages, indicating perhaps better policing, law and order and preventive measures in metropolitan areas. Among the metros, Delhi has the highest IPC crime rates followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru. Kochi topped the next tier of cities. In fact, the IPC crime rate in tiny Kochi (1636 percent) was more than twice that of the next city, Gwalior (709.3 percent) Chhattisgarh recorded the highest SLL crimes followed by Andaman and Nicobar and UP. The spurt in violent crimes in Kerala, which of late has rose to notoriety in terms of attacks by criminal gangs, burglaries and mob violence, is clearly reflected in crime statistics too. The state has the highest rate of violent crimes: 44 percent as against the national average of 22.2. In other words, nearly half of all crimes in the state are violent crimes. However, the highest incidence of violent crimes, as a share of the national burden, is in Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for 12.9 percent of all violent crimes in India, followed by Bihar and Maharashtra. Violent crimes, according to NCRB classification, include murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide, dowry deaths, kidnapping & abduction, dacoity, robbery, riots, arson, and rape. When it comes to violence against women, it’s West Bengal that tops the list - 12.7 percent of all crimes against women in the country occurred in the state, followed by Tripura. In fact Tripura’s rate of crime against women (37 percent) is almost twice the national average. In terms of rape, Madhya Pradesh was the biggest offender. Delhi’s poor reputation on women continues:  the city accounted for 13.3 percent of crimes against women among the cities. The NCRB data, despite all the apprehensions of under reporting, is a great indicator of the intricate linkages between crime, socio-economic conditions of people, politics, governance and social reforms in different states of the country. While it re-establishes certain known facts of crimes associated with certain states, it also exposes the ugly underbelly of states such as Kerala and West Bengal, which are known for socio-cultural and political reforms as well as long periods of Left rule. Particularly disturbing is the trend that implicates West Bengal in crime against women.