MADURAI: Tamil Nadu stands first in the list of atrocity-prone states and manual scavenging in India, said Executive Director of NGO Evidence A Kathir during a conference on the topic 'caste discrimination in Tamil Nadu' in Madurai on Saturday. The conference was organised by Evidence and 'Ilaiyaperumal Vaazhkai Saritharam' author Balasingam Rajendhran was felicitated on the occasion.
While addressing the gathering, Kathir said a study conducted by his team revealed that from November 2022 to January 2023, there were around 450 cases registered across the state under the SC/ST Act, with the Pudukottai district topping the list with 45 cases. "Tamil Nadu is placed first on the list of 13 atrocity-prone Indian states. The caste atrocity cases increased by a whopping 40% last year," he said.
Holding the state government responsible for the rise in the number of cases, Kathir said the officials have not been taking immediate action and the accused persons have been getting bail easily. He also said the implementation of the SC/ST Act and Rules 1995 is ineffective in the state after releasing the detailed report on it.
The report which was compiled by the Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet), has put forward a few recommendations. Honour killing survivor Kausalya and others took part in the event.
Recommendations in DHRDNet report:
* State-level high-power vigilance committees must follow SC/ST Act provisions and meet twice annually
* National commissions for SCs and STs must release annual reports expeditiously in a transparent manner
* The reports must be placed before the parliament within the succeeding calendar year