MADURAI: Dalit rights activists, who have been time and again condemning the ‘derogatory’ titles such as ‘colony’, ‘chaeri’ and ‘kuppam’ that are used to refer to Schedule Caste (SC) habitations, have now sought judicial intervention to put an end to the age-old humiliating practice of ‘labelling’ and ‘name-calling’.
Former IAS officer P Sivagami of Samooga Samuthava Padai, Karuppaiah of Dalit Liberation Movement and K Krishnan of Human Rights Organisation Forum for Peace and Justice have jointly filed a writ petition in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court saying that such a practice is in gross violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
“When the Government itself endorses the discriminatory titles used by the people in its records such as ration cards and voters’ IDs, it will only perpetuate, reinforce and strengthen untouchability and caste atrocities in the popular mind and psyche,” said Sivagami.
The petitioners prayed for a direction to the state government to remove the discriminatory titles given to the SC habitations from all the official records.
They suggested that the government should either issue a fresh name based on the population of the SC people in the respective areas or endorse the main name and pass an order in this regard.
Stating that a study carried out by them revealed the rampant prevalence of such discriminatory practices across the state, they submitted documentary evidences including ration and voters’ identity cards in the court.
Citing a few examples, petitioners’ advocate A Rajini pointed out that a main village in Tirumangalam taluk in Madurai is called Vadakkampatti whereas the residential locality of Dalits is called Vadakkampatti colony.
Similarly, a main village in Arakkonam taluk in Vellore district is called Injiputhur whereas the SC habitation is called Injiputhur colony.
In some areas, SC habitations are called Keelatheru, while the main part of the village where the caste Hindus reside is called Melatheru, Sivagami pointed out.
Rajini pointed out a few more examples from Madurai district - Sakkilankulam in Usilampatti taluk, sweeper colony in Tirumangalam town and Aadi Dravidar Colony in Vadipatti.
“Ironically, all these discriminatory suffixes endorsed SC settlements that have got into the government records without proper scrutiny amounts to humiliating Dalits,” said Karuppiah adding that it is in violation of Article 14, 21 and 17 of the Indian Constitution.
The petitioners submitted that their representations to the government have failed to yield a positive response.