Responding to the softening of provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court, Dalits took to the streets in different parts of India on Monday, leaving nine dead, several injured, and massive destruction of public and private property. Dalit anger erupted in unprecedented ways, signaling an assertiveness that could shake the social hierarchy. Six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh, and one in Rajasthan.
Rampaging mobs resorted to wanton destruction of public property unafraid of the government and authorities. Pelting trains with stones, putting hundreds of passengers in harm's way, the community said it would seek a review of the Supreme Court order. The worst-hit was BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, as protesting mobs went berserk, even targeting the police. Private vehicles and commercial establishments were damaged, while in certain places, people became collateral victims of rampaging masses that went around cities forcing shutdowns. The state government was caught unaware, not having expected such intensity and scale of violence. Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sagar, Balaghat, and Satna districts were the biggest victims. Gwalior saw protesters firing from licenced revolvers, forcing shutdowns of schools and kids ferried home in police vehicles.
Curfew was clamped in Morena, where a man standing outside his house was shot by someone from a mob. Rahul Pathak, the victim, was taken to the hospital where he died. The army was called to the state to restore some balance. Internet services were suspended in Gwalior-Chambal region.
No stay on order but SC will reconsider it in 10 days
Even in the aftermath of the damaging 'Bharat Bandh' the Supreme Court refused to stay its March 20 order diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. It has, however, said it would reconsider last month's judgment at hearing after 10 days and asked parties to file their written submissions within two days. After hearing observations by attorney general KK Venugopal, the court said, “We are not against the Act. Innocent should not be punished.”
It said the judgment in no way dilutes any provision of the SC/ST Act or rules, asserting that the Act does not mandate immediate arrest on filing of complaint. “We have not diluted any provision of SC/ST Act and only safeguarded interest of innocents from being arrested. Provisions of the Act cannot be used to terrorise the innocents. The SC/ST Act is a substantive law and we have just asked that implementation of it would require adherence to procedural law as given in criminal procedure code.”
In the initial ruling, the SC had said that public servants cannot be prosecuted without the approval of the appointing authority, and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. It further ruled that preliminary inquiry in a case under the Act would be conducted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police to ensure the allegations are not frivolous. The amendment was to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.
