States not paying attention to dalit problems: Commn

National Commission for SCs is upset that states have failed to set up special courts for the speedy trial of cases relating to atrocities on dalits, reports Saroj Nagi.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is upset that several states have failed to set up special courts for the speedy trial of cases relating to atrocities on dalits.

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"There are several states which are yet to comply with one or more provisions of the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, 1989 which contains several significant provisions including setting up of special courts with special prosecutors, constituting state and district-level vigilance committees,'' said Fakir Bhai Vaghela, vice chairman of the commission. He emphasized that every provision of the Act has to be complied with by states.

Speaking at the two-day national conference of the commission that concluded on Thursday, Vaghela also took serious note of the "negative" role of the "men in uniform" who instead of giving a sense of security to the victims sought to protect the culprits by inaction and inefficiency.

Seeking empowerment of the commission, he also noted that the gap between reported crimes, their conversion into chargesheets or the conviction of the guilty tended to give the impression that crimes against scheduled castes is not getting the attention it deserves.