NEW DELHI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Monday's violence initiated by India's Dalit community has touched 12.
The violence ensued after Dalits -- the lowest rung of India's caste hierarchy -- had tried to enforce a nationwide shutdown against the Supreme Court's alleged dilution of a law that ensures the community's protection.
"The death toll in central state of Madhya Pradesh now stands at seven, with two protesters succumbing to their injuries. Two people already died in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and one in police firing in the western state of Rajasthan," a police official said Tuesday.
Reports of two more deaths also came in this morning -- one from the eastern state of Bihar where a baby died and the other of a 68-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh. In both the cases, two ambulances carrying the duo respectively got stuck in snarls triggered by the protesters.
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan were among the five Indian states -- others being Punjab and Jharkhand -- that bore the brunt of the violence as Dalit protesters damaged public and private properties, and set afire several vehicles to vent out their anger.
Dalits are angry over the top court's recent order banning automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under a law that is meant for protection of the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination.
The violence had continued the entire day despite the Indian government assuring protesters that a review petition had been filed in the Supreme Court against its earlier order.
Discrimination on the basis of caste is outlawed in India but remains widespread across the country. And there has been several instances where Dalits have been made the targets by the so-called upper caste people.