CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu on Friday directed all district collectors to take steps to prevent incidents of caste discrimination during hoisting of flags by local body representatives during Independence Day celebrations in the State. The directive comes amid reports about SC/ST representatives facing discrimination over hoisting of the tricolour in some places in the State.
“Collectors should ensure hoisting of national flag by elected representatives belonging to all castes, and their participation in the Independence Day celebration. If there are any problems in executing this directive, police force shall be deployed sufficiently and a special helpline to handle complaints in this regard can be created. All collectors should send an action taken report in this regard by the evening of August 14 and another report about the compliance of this directive by August 17,” the chief secretary said in his communication to the collectors.
Stating that there was information that some local body representatives could be insulted on the basis of their caste in some village panchayats while hosting the national flag, the chief secretary said, “According to Article 17 of our Constitution, untouchability has been abolished and practising it in any form is punishable.”
Parties criticise govt over caste discrimination
Irai Anbu added that according to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, preventing local body representatives belonging to SC/ ST communities from discharging their duties or intimidating or insulting them is a punishable offence.
On Thursday, the TN Untouchability Eradication Front, an NGO, had released a survey report which said SC/ST representatives were discriminated against in most parts of the State. In several places, panchayat presidents belonging to such communities do not even have chairs to sit in their offices.
The discrimination includes denial of access to local body offices and denial of access to files, it added. Political parties, including the BJP and the MNM, have criticised the government on the issue.