A human rights fact-finding team has demanded legal protection from the Orissa government to protect the state’s dalit and tribal communities from communal violence.

“Orissa has failed to protect the dalit and tribal communities as violent attacks on them continue,” said Sirivella Prasad, general secretary of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, a forum working for the elimination of caste discrimination.

Speaking at a press conference at the weekend in Bhubaneswar, the state capital, the team demanded the implementation of a law to address ongoing violence against the two communities.

“We demand the state government constitute special courts and recruit officials to respond to the growing occurrences of violence,” said Jugal Kishore Ranjit, a dalit rights activist.

Ranjit said there were two cases of gang rape in the last two months. One victim was murdered while the other remains in a coma.

He also said many dalit homes have been burned down,  with the authorities remaining a “mute spectator.”

The team members had just returned from visiting Banlangir, Pipili and Chandanpur districts where the incidents occurred.

The houses of 35 families were burned in Balangir, while a girl was gang-raped in Pipili and a woman was gang-raped and murdered in Chandanpur district.

Prasad said the dominant caste commits crimes to intimidate dalit and tribals groups.

He lamented that out of 30 districts in the state only one is looking at implementing a law addressing violence against dalits and tribals.

“Out of 100 acts of violence against dalits and tribals that were registered with the police, only 38 were followed up,” he said.