Saharanpur violence: Bring perpetrators to justice, Amnesty International tells UP govt

New Delhi: The human rights watchdog on Thursday said that the Uttar Pradesh government must urgently bring to justice those responsible for the recent caste-based violence in Saharanpur, in which two men were killed and several others injured. Violence first broke out in Saharanpur about 40 days ago following a procession to mark Ambedkar Jayanti. On 5 May, a person was killed and 15 people were injured in clashes between two communities. [caption id=“attachment_3483079” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Saharanpur violence. News 18[/caption] About a dozen police vehicles on 9 May were set ablaze and 12 policemen. On 23 May, another person was shot dead and two others were wounded. Asmita Basu, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India said, “The Uttar Pradesh government must make every effort to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice. All suspected hate crimes against Dalits must be impartially and thoroughly investigated,” She also said, “Impunity for these attacks is likely to spur more violence.” “The Uttar Pradesh government has failed in the past to provide full and effective reparation, including compensation and rehabilitation, to people affected by caste-based or communal violence,” Basu alleged, adding, “This needs to change.” Caste-based discrimination and violence against Dalits is widespread in Uttar Pradesh, but is believed to be officially under-reported due to fear of reprisal. Over 8,300 crimes against members of Scheduled Castes were reported in the state in 2015, according to Amnesty International.