A thread on the current Dalit riots. Years ago in Delhi, my father had arranged to send a contract worker to do some repair work in our home. The man who came had an arrogant air about him but we did not pay much attention to that. (1)
As is my mother's habit, at lunchtime, she served lunch to the man which he ate nonchalantly without gratitude. After eating he went to the kitchen to keep his plate. To my mother's horror he began to rinse and gargle his mouth in the kitchen sink over all the dishes stacked (2)
"Stop!" yelled my mother and asked if he had no manners at all, rinsing his mouth in the kitchen. She told him that he could have easily used the bathroom sink for rinsing his mouth. The man walked away in a huff. (3)
Later my father called from office to scold my mom and inform her that the man was from the SC category and he was making a big scene over how he had been treated. My mother had no idea which social category or strata he was from. (4)
Besides, she would have reacted in exactly the same way even if the man was the Maharaja of Patiala. My father had to apologize to the enraged worker in order that he would not register a complaint under the SC/ST Act. (5)
The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 or SC/ST Act was enacted to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes/tribes. It's well-intended but can be easily misused. That worker could've got my mother thrown in jail that day without even an inquiry (6)
On March 20, the Supreme Court of India banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under SC/ST Act. It said public servants can't be prosecuted without approval of the appointing authority, and private citizens too can be arrested only after an inquiry. (7)
It further ruled that a preliminary inquiry in a case under the Act would be conducted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police to ensure allegations are not frivolous. The amendment in this law was to protect honest public servants from being blackmailed with false cases. (8)
To any reasonable person, this Amendment should sound perfectly alright, just like the amendments proposed for the draconian Dowry Act. But no, this SC/ST Act has been completely politicized. (9)
Political parties like the Congress and Dalit organizations are instigating riots in India over an Amendment which is necessary. They're saying the Dalit rights are being threatened. Even GOI has come under pressure and is asking the Supreme Court to review this Amendment. (10)
Please stop thinking that the current Dalit riots has anything to do with caste or Hinduism. It has everything to do with political machinations to stop Modi from being PM for a second term. (11)
There's a pattern in the manner social faultlines are being deepened over the past 4 years in order to create hatred for the Modi government. Of course, the govt itself has not acted smartly in preempting moves. In fact, it’s hard to know what the government is even planning (12)
We can only wait and hope, as Alexandre Dumas once said. (13)
