A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to effectively monitor the implementation of State Government schemes meant to prevent offences against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and ensure provision of relief and rehabilitation for victims of such atrocities.
The petition, filed by the owner of a printing press here, who belongs to the Dalit community and is a Buddhist, has been filed in the wake of the mob frenzy in Dharmapuri district on November 7 last year.
The First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, has posted the petition for hearing, along with other petitions relating to the Dharmapuri incident, on February 4.
The petitioner, L. Yakkan of Ellis Road here, stated that atrocities had been committed on Dalits in Tamil Nadu in the past several years.
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was enacted to prevent atrocities against Dalits, setting up of special courts to try cases of offences against SCs and STs and for relief and rehabilitation of the victims. This brought some hope to the victimised communities. But, implementation of the law was “inefficient and tardy.”
Mr. Yakkan said there was an attack on Dalits at Natham and Annanagar Colonies and Kondampatti in Dharmapuri district on November 7 consequent to an inter-caste marriage.
Rehabilitation measures were being implemented at a slow pace.
The petitioner said the Centre had a vital role to advise the State Government to protect Dalits and also sought a direction to the Centre to issue instructions to the State to take all measures mandated under the law to give full protection to SCs and STs.
