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Cops to hold awareness camps on caste issues in Tamil Nadu schools
“We will start the programe this week to educate the students about caste differences and make them understand the consequences of indulging in such violence,” the official said.
With rising incidents of violence against Dalits in Tamil Nadu, especially in classrooms, the state police has planned to start an awareness programme for schoolchildren to sensitise them about caste-based discrimination, an official aware of the matter said on Sunday.
“We will start the programe this week to educate the students about caste differences and make them understand the consequences of indulging in such violence,” the official said.
A club will also be formed as part of the club, the official said, adding; “The club will include children from all communities where they will take part in activities together... like hiking etc... this way they will not be competing against each other, but they will have to reach a common goal. We will plan more such programs to establish harmony between them.”
A unit – formed in Tamil Nadu in 1972 to act on discrimination and atrocities against the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population and create awareness on such matters – exists in each of the 38 districts of the state.
According to the official, the police have identified six districts in southern Tamil Nadu – including Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi – which are in the need of the intervention.
The recent caste-based crimes have led the Tamil Nadu police to re-assess some of the functions and strengthen their existing systems, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal told HT. Last year, the union government released data that Tamil Nadu’s Social Justice and Human Rights wing identified 345 villages in 37 districts as ‘Atrocity prone’ in 2020. In 2021, 445 villages were identified as Atrocity Prone Villages. “We are having a re-look at this assessment. We are also revamping units that have been working for some time preventing caste-atrocities,” the DGP said.
Several caste violence and atrocities have occurred in just a fortnight in Tamil Nadu.
Six youngsters belonging to the Most Backward Class on November 11 were detained under the Goondas Act for stripping two young Dalit men and urinating on them in Thoothukudi on October 30. A 16-year-old boy died by suicide in Pudukottai on November 3 and his parents allege that he was assaulted by Other Backward Caste students for speaking to a girl from their community. On October 29, ten Dalits were injured in Krishnagiri in an alleged attack by those belonging to the backward class and led by an AIADMK functionary. Concerned over a series of such recent atrocities against Dalits in Tamil Nadu, the Dalit Intellectual Collective based in Chennai has demanded that chief minister M K Stalin call for an all-party meeting to consult ways to end this.
The official quoted above said that they have brought in a three-tier system in August to improve the quality and speed of investigation until the case is completed. First, every month the head of the Social Justice and Human Rights wing reviews the progress of cases in all the districts of Tamil Nadu, and awareness meeting have been increased in “atrocity prone” areas to enlighten people about their rights and facilities available, and lastly the unit assisting victims to ensure that they get ‘Monetary Relief Fund’ under relevant laws.
“In several cases, the victims of caste atrocities do not get compensation because they do not have a community certificate or bank accounts or some identity documents,” the official quoted above said. “By deputing officials for victim assistance we have reduced the community certificate pendency from 340 last year to 172 this year. Last year, 25-crore was released under the Monetary Relief Fund. So far this year, we have already released 46-crore.”
