Dear Editor,
This refers to your editorial ‘Gujarat Violence’ (ST – July 23). Really the atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat is an eye-opening for everyone. Can we see a such crime just as crime . Poor and socially downtrodden are always easy targets everywhere all along. This can be changed only if we can have rule of law in the country without any fear or favour. Despite two crucial laws to deal with crimes against Dalits – the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – the high incidence of violence against them is disturbing. In spite of crimes against Dalits being reported in the national media, atrocities against them continue. This shows the fearless attitude of the so-called upper castes.In other words, God lives in the heart of all either they are general or they are Dalit. Today ,caste has been seen as a bargaining factor for politician in politics. They are merely concerned about the atrocities people face due to radicalism of caste. The most important wish of a common man is live free and live without fear. But now a days in India the news reports shows that there is a large increase in injustice against the poor people. Such incidents reveals the fact that the caste system is dividing the Hindu society and forces the Dalits to embrace other religions, which is also not good. No economic reform can bring about real progress unless specific policies and actions are put in place to tackle inequity. In India, all inequity can be traced to caste.It’s high time both State and Central government work together to end conflicts in the name of caste.
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad
