Activists fighting for the rights of tribals are aghast at a WhatsApp message circulated by Pune cops that talks of keeping an eye on ‘Hindi speaking’  Phase Pardhi people to curb house break-ins and robberies. They have accused the police of trying to portray a negative image of the Phase Pardhis in the minds of people who, in turn, treat them as criminals.

Recently, mid-day ran a series of stories on how members of the Pardhi tribes were targeted by a group of so-called upper caste men in Beed and how a community member was tortured in the custody of Solapur police leading to his death.