Reply #15: not the complete picture ...

[Kalyan]

The common misconception in India is that the Brahmins & "forward caste" folks abused & continue to abuse the SCs/STs. Nothing can be further away from truth. And the media plays it's part in not naming the abuser community and instead terming them as "caste hindus". This creates an image in the mind of the readers that Brahmins are abusing the SCs/STs.

For example - Kherlanji massacre was the hedious crime against humanity where a dalit farmer's family was killed because he refused to give-away land that the villagers were eyeing for laying a road. Check this
* BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6211000/6211532.stm
* Indian Express (Top 5 Indian newspaper): http://www.indianexpress.com/news/village-quiet-after-it-ganged-up-to-hack-dalit-mother-3-children/16226/
* Hindu (South India's No.1 Paper): http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/17/stories/2006111702871100.htm

If you go through these weblinks, does the name of the caste that perpetrated the crime come out? Now check the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherlanji_massacre

The murders were carried out by the Kunbi caste - classified as OTHER BACKWARD CASTES (OBC). OBCs sit between the forward caste (FC) and the SCs/STs in the caste chain. They have 27% reservation in all govt institutions & jobs (while SCs & STs hold 22%).

The real problem for the SCs/STs in India is lack of public awareness on their plight & the identity of the perpetrators of crimes against these 2 groups.