Shocking

This refers to the Supreme Court's notice to the Haryana government seeking its response to a petition highlighting the plight of Mirchpur Dalits, who have been forced to leave their village after two of them were killed allegedly by the Jats. The issue underscores the pathetic situation of Dalits and the hiatus that exists between the constitutional provision abolishing untouchability and the ground reality.

Atrocities against Dalits occur every time they challenge the unequal power structure. In most cases, they are targets of attacks by the ‘upper' castes, with the police and the administration remaining silent spectators.

T. Marx,

Puducherry

That 150 Dalit families have been forced to leave the Mirchpur village in Haryana is shocking. Already the country is reeling under the impact of Maoist violence. Do the mighty and powerful find it romantic to inflict pain on the vulnerable sections? When will the state start paying attention to the anguish of the defenceless?

Ajesh Biju,New Delhi