Madhya Pradesh sees slight decrease in crimes against members of tribal communities

Bhopal, Sep 30 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh recorded a slight decrease in crimes against members of tribal communities in 2023 and stood second after Manipur, as per the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

A total of 2,858 cases of crimes against Scheduled Tribes (ST) persons were registered in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, compared to 2,979 in the 2022.

At the national level, the number of crimes against members of tribal communities increased from 10,055 in 2022 to 12,954 in 2023.

Manipur topped the list in this category with the highest 3,399 cases. After MP, Rajasthan ranked third with 2,453 cases.

In 2022, Madhya Pradesh had recorded the highest number of crimes against STs in the country at 2,979 cases, followed by Rajasthan (2,521 cases) and Telangana (545 cases).

Notably, widespread violence flared up in Manipur in 2023 when members of the Kuki and Meitei communities clashed.

According to the 2011 census, Madhya Pradesh has the highest population of Scheduled Tribes in the country. As per the latest NCRB data, the crime rate against tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh was 18.7 percent per lakh population, while the charge sheet filing rate in such cases was 98.4 percent.

Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, Umang Singhar, targeted the BJP government over the crimes against tribal communities.

In a post on X, he said, "Like across the country, tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh are facing injustice. Here, their lands are snatched away, their rights over forests and resources are taken away. When they raise their voice for their rights, the government resorts to repression and intimidation." The state ranked fifth in crimes against women, behind Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal, in 2023.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases of crimes against women at 66,381, followed by Maharashtra at 47,101, Rajasthan at 45,450, West Bengal at 34,691 and Madhya Pradesh at 32,342.

Madhya Pradesh ranked third in the country in suicides (15,662), behind Maharashtra (22,687) and Tamil Nadu (19,483). PTI BNS MAS KRK