New Delhi — The National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL) has publicly condemned Bollywood actress and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut for her recent remarks during an interview with the media channel Lallantop, aired on August 30. The council is demanding a public apology and retraction of her statements, which they describe as "deeply troubling" and "socially toxic."

In the interview, Ranaut made comments concerning violence against Dalit women in India, which the NCWL argues are not only misleading but also harmful. The council, which represents Dalit and Tribal women, expressed that her statements objectified Dalit women and perpetuated incorrect narratives, particularly in relation to the farmers' protests. These comments, they assert, trivialize the brutal and systemic violence that Dalit women have historically faced and continue to endure.

The NCWL supported its condemnation with alarming data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 2021, there were 3,893 reported cases of rape against women, of which 1,285 involved Dalit minor girls. The council emphasized that these figures are not just numbers; they represent the devastating lived realities of countless women who have been subjected to caste-based violence.

Criticism of Casual Attitude Toward Caste Atrocities

The council highlighted the dangerous implications of celebrities like Ranaut speaking casually about caste atrocities. The NCWL accused her of having a mindset that aligns more with perpetrators of caste violence than with advocates for justice. According to the statement, Ranaut appears "willfully blind" to the violence faced by Dalit women, choosing to overlook or misrepresent the severity of their struggles.

In a pointed critique, the NCWL referenced Kangana Ranaut’s home state of Himachal Pradesh, which has a significant Scheduled Castes population (25.22% according to the 2011 National Census). In 2022 alone, over 1,600 cases of caste-based atrocities were reported in the state. The council argued that Ranaut’s opposition to the caste-based census demonstrates her lack of empathy and understanding of caste-based violence, accusing her of having a "fragile and eccentric worldview."

The NCWL has demanded that Ranaut publicly apologize for her remarks and admit to her inadequate knowledge of Dalit women’s issues. They urged her to educate herself on the history and daily struggles of Dalit women and to develop the empathy necessary to understand the gravity of her words.

In a direct appeal, the council invited Ranaut to learn about the "darkness and horrors" that define the existence of Dalit women in India. They emphasized that without such understanding, she cannot grasp the full extent of the damage her words have caused.

Beyond addressing Ranaut, the NCWL also called upon media outlets to exercise greater responsibility when covering issues related to Dalit women. They urged the media to prioritize the voices and stories of Dalit representatives rather than amplifying harmful stereotypes perpetuated by public figures.

The council reiterated that the dignity of Dalit women is of paramount importance, and they will not allow anyone—whether media figures or celebrities—to undermine it. They emphasized that Dalit women have survived and thrived in the face of exclusion and misrepresentation, and their resolve remains strong.

Reminder of Past Atrocities

In their statement, the NCWL also reminded the public of the long history of caste-based violence against Dalit women. They referenced the 2020 Hathras case, where a Dalit woman was brutally assaulted and denied dignity even after her death. They also pointed to numerous cases where Dalit students, doctors, and workers have been found dead due to caste atrocities, with their deaths often dismissed as ‘suicides’ by those in power.

The council noted that Dalit minor girls have been assaulted, raped, and murdered simply for trying to access basic resources like education, livelihood, or water. These incidents, they stressed, are not isolated but part of a broader pattern of structural violence that continues to plague Indian society.