HYDERABAD: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has asked the Telangana government to control the rising number of cases of atrocities against citizens from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST). He noted that there have been as many as 10,412 cases of atrocities in the State since 2014. Pulling up the Telangana government, he revealed data for the six years of the State’s existence.
“The number of atrocities cases is very high and the (State) government must control them. Telangana is a small State, so proportionally, the cases are too many. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao must take interest and support the SC/ST community to ensure that the number doesn’t rise,” said Athawale.
The Union minister and president of the Republican Party of India said that the Modi government at the Centre has done a lot to preserve the sanctity of the SC/ST Act and fight discrimination of depressed groups.
Athawale said the only way to abolish the caste system was inter-caste marriage. “The youth must choose inter-caste marriages and it must be pushed for by the society,” he said while noting that in Telangana, there have been 4,656 such marriages till date.
Meanwhile, the minister praised the State government’s initiative in setting up residential schools for minorities and the SC/ST community. He appreciated the fact that girls outnumbered boys in terms of enrolment.
‘Development possible in Pakistan only after it hands over PoK’
Speaking on the abrogation of Article 370, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale claimed that Pakistan would have future with development only if it surrenders PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) to India. “We want Akhand Bharat, a united India. In the same way, we want a ‘united Kashmir’. Seventy years ago, one-third of Kashmir was captured by Pakistan illegally. It must be given back (to India) if they don’t want a battle,” noted Athawale. While stating that friendly ties between the two nations were possible, he stressed that the only means to achieve this would be for Pakistan to hand over PoK, that had illegally occupied by it, to India. “I appeal to Pakistan to hand over POK to India. Only then can friendship between India and Pakistan progress and the region see development,” noted Athawale