The State government’s re-notification of amended rules of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has kicked up a debate on implementation of the law.
About 10 days ago, the State Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department published in the gazette of the State government the revised rules, which were originally issued by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in April this year.
A former officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), who had served as Secretary of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department in the State, however, refers to poor track record in conviction rate under the Act and wants the authorities to ensure that swift and time-bound trials are held and offenders punished. So long as there is no improvement in this regard, the mere tightening of the provisions will not bring about any desirable change, the former IAS officer says.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss, in a statement, complained that certain aspects of the amendment might give room for vindictive action, leading to even social tension.
But, D. Ravikumar, general secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), says the revised rules are a sequel to the recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for SCs. Originally, many rules were vague and this had also contributed to the poor implementation of the Act. The amendment has sought to correct this situation. The amendment has to be viewed as part of a trend of specifying more precisely the nature of offences.
Over the years, legal provisions concerning violence on women and children have also undergone changes.
On reports of increase in cases of violence against the SCs in Tamil Nadu, C.K. Tamizharasan, leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI), an ally of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), feels this shows that greater number of people of the community is coming forward to lodge complaints and the administration is also responsive to have the cases filed.
This is not the case in many other States, he adds.
