Rohru Incident Sparks Debate on Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pukar

The recent incident in Limbra village of Shimla district, involving the alleged assault of a 12-year-old boy and accusations of caste-based discrimination — which reportedly led the victim to consume a poisonous substance — has reignited discussions on the persistence of untouchability in Himachal Pradesh. The case has brought renewed focus on the ground reality of caste discrimination and the enforcement of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the state.

Outraged by the incident, people took to the streets, asserting that despite strong legal provisions and constitutional safeguards, caste-based discrimination remains deeply entrenched — particularly in rural areas of the state.

147 Atrocity Cases Reported Under the SC-ST Act in 2025 (Till August)

According to official data from the Himachal Pradesh Police, a total of 147 cases were registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act between January 1 and August 31, 2025.

• Mandi district recorded the highest number of cases, with 40 incidents reported within eight months.
• Shimla followed with 16 cases, while Una and Sirmaur each reported 14.
• Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts saw 11 cases each.
• Kullu and Nurpur police district registered 8 cases each, Chamba and Baddi police districts reported 7 cases each, followed by Kangra (6), Solan (4), and Dehra police district (1).

While several activists have demanded stricter enforcement of the Act, others have questioned its misuse, alleging that it is sometimes invoked to harass individuals from the general category. In this particular case, some locals have claimed that the accused woman was falsely implicated, asserting that she neither used casteist slurs nor demanded a goat for ritual purification, as alleged. They maintain that she merely restrained the boy when he was allegedly caught attempting to steal from her shop.

Despite these conflicting narratives, official records show that caste-related atrocities continue to be reported across the state every year.

Comparison with 2024

In 2024 (January to December), 213 cases were registered under the SC/ST (POA) Act across Himachal Pradesh.

• Mandi once again topped the list with 42 cases, followed by Shimla (27), Solan (22), Bilaspur and Una (21 each), Hamirpur (20), Sirmaur (16), Kullu (14), Baddi (10), Kangra (9), Chamba (6), Nurpur (4), and Kinnaur (1).

Among all districts, the tribal region of Lahaul-Spiti — the largest in the state by area — remained the only district with zero cases for the second consecutive year, indicating no reported incidents of caste-based atrocities there.

Demographic Context

As per the 2011 Census, Himachal Pradesh is home to over 1.7 million Scheduled Caste residents and more than 390,000 Scheduled Tribe residents. The state officially recognizes around 56 different Scheduled Castes.

The Limbra incident has once again drawn attention to the enduring challenges of caste prejudice in the state. While legal frameworks exist to safeguard marginalized communities, the ground realities — particularly in remote and rural belts — reveal that the fight against caste-based discrimination and social exclusion remains far from over.