Tamil Nadu - Madurai
To instil consciousness on Dalit human rights, legal rights
Staff Reporter
Atrocity cases happen when Dalits try to avail themselves of legal resources
"History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict,
victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been
known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was
sufficient force to compel them." - B.R.Ambedkar
MADURAI: It is a well known fact that the consciousness about
Constitutional provisions and law enforcement agencies among the
Dalits is indeed low and that is one of the reasons which remains as a
stumbling block to their emancipation.
Moreover, startling evidence reveal that the empowerment of Dalits has
always resulted in a concurrent increase in their opposition as well.
Atrocity cases happen when Dalits try to avail themselves of legal
resources; assert their right over common property resources, their
occupation, right to participate in cultural life, their right to vote
etc.
This being the reality, Dalit Foundation, India and Peoples Watch
(NGOs which work among Dalits) have been for so many years organising
a National Training Programme on Dalit Human Rights Monitoring.
It is one such effort to instil and inculcate the legal as well as
human rights aspects among grassroots activists and campaigners of
Dalit cause.
The ten-day training programme is under way at PILLAR centre in
Nagamalai Pudukottai here in Madurai where 56 members from Madhya
Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka
Orissa Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are participating.
All the members are basically Dalit activists who are working at a
grassroot level in theor respective states and this training programme
provides them a chance to become "informed Dalit activists," said
Pandian, Coordinator, Dalit Foundation, India.
The members had interactive sessions on Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
However the salient feature of the training programme is going on a
fact finding mission to get experienced in a professional way to
handle atrocity cases.
Sisir, from Orissa, went to Namakkal district to investigate an
alleged case of forceful displacement of Dalits where the local
panchayat council had decided to socially ostracise a Dalit family
which questioned their rights over land. Sisir says, "Cases have been
filed under SC/ST POA, 1989 but there has been no progress."
Swaranjali, of Maharashtra, went to Goundanallur village in Erode
district to investigate a case of a murder of dalit youth. She found
how the victim's mother fearing backlash has restrained herself from
even filing a complaint.
Indira of Tuticorin district went to Nedungulam in Virudhunagar to
investigate an alleged case of caste clash between Dalits and caste
Hindus.
Using her gained experiences as a trainee she was able to gather
information from the police and question them on the sections under
which cases have been filed.
Murugesan, Jessintha, Esakkimuthu, Jegadeesan (from Tamil Nadu),
Prakash (Maharashtra) and Manjula (Karnataka) also shared their
experiences of being part of this training programme and how
significant is it for the Dalits and Dalit activists to be conscious
about the legal aspects. Many activists shared that "Even if they
lodge a complaint under the S.C. /S.T. Act, the police ask the caste
Hindus to lodge a counter complaint so that a criminal case is filed
against the Dalits, too.
Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director, Peoples Watch, who imparts
training to the members, said that the essential aspect of this
training is to make 'human rights defenders out of Dalit activists.'
Dalit activists are members who have experienced some sort of
discrimination and the protest element is there within them but the
effort is to make them think beyond their own experience and to form a
pattern where they could think about discrimination from a wider
perspective.
Documenting
This includes documenting the discrimination and human rights
violation, handling cases in a professional way, fact finding
experiences and recording the statements of victims and perpetrators,
which would provide a broader understanding.
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