Citing the sharp rise in atrocities against Dalits in the state and discontent in the large, politically crucial community, the Maharashtra government has decided to invoke tough provisions of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, and fine an entire village where the atrocity is reported and consider curtailing development funds it?s entitled to.
The state, home to the second largest Dalit population in the country after Uttar Pradesh, is the first to consent to such stringent action. The move was approved today at a meeting of senior police and home department officials called by minster of state for home (rural) Nitin Raut.
It comes close on the heels of official data showing a steady increase in number of atrocities against SCs in the state: from 689 in 2004 to 844 in 2005, 1,001 in 2006 and 1,173 in 2008.
Atrocities against STs for the corresponding years were 233, 230, 270, 248 and 286. In 2008, the Kolhapur range topped in atrocities on SCs with 242 cases, followed by Aurangabad with 202 and Nashik with 171.
Officials sources said that although the provision to impose a collective fine on a village existed in the Act, its use had not been considered so far as atrocity rates were not seen to be high. The meeting decided to impose a collective fine on a village where an atrocity has been committed under Section 16 of the Act and Section 10A of the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955. It was also decided to ask District Magistrates to implement the provisions and deal sternly with such cases.
?Maharashtra is the first state to do this and we?ll deal with atrocities strictly,? Raut said. ?We are invoking provisions that are already laid down in the act to act as a deterrent.?
Although the home department also proposed that development funds to ?atrocity-prone? villages be curtailed, the meeting decided to draft a comprehensive proposal and get it approved by the Cabinet as it involves other departments such as revenue and rural development.
In the event of a mob attack on Dalits, orders have been issued to the local collector and superintendent of police or the local inspector-general of police to visit the spot within 24 hours, take action and report to the government. Errant government employees would be punished under Section 4 of the Act ? jail from six months to one year ? for dereliction of duty. A village committee comprising the sarpanch, the talati (in-charge of land records) and kotwal is to be formed for local vigilance.
Raut said that the government would also urge villagers to celebrate birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and festivals like Ganeshotsav publicly by involving all communities.