'Our heads should hang in shame': Madras HC over Scheduled Caste ill-treatment in Madurai

The Madras High Court has made scathing observations on the ill-treatment of the Scheduled Caste community.

The observation came after the court took suo motu cognizance of a December 21 report in Tamil daily, Dinakaran on hardships faced by the SC community in Melur Taluk of Tamil Nadu's Madurai district owing to the absence of a road to a graveyard.

Expressing anguish, Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi observed: "We have to hang our head in shame for having ill-treated and discriminated the Scheduled Caste people for centuries together. Even today, they are not getting properly treated and offences are continuing and they are not getting appropriate basic amenities."

"Since there is no road facility available to these people, they are compelled to carry the dead body through the fields with standing crops and put them to unnecessary trouble and untold hardships. Not only living persons but also dead bodies should be given dignity. The Scheduled Caste people should have roads to graveyards." 

The bench further stated, "The Schedule Caste people should have roads to graveyards. This news report only reflects that there are no proper pathways/roads to the graveyards. Therefore, this court thinks it fit to take the above issue reported in the newspaper as a Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation."

The high court has issued notices to the Tamil Nadu additional chief secretary and tribal welfare department 

• Madras High Court
• Madurai district
• Scheduled Caste
• Tamil Nadu
• discrimination
• graveyard
• ill-treatment
• observations
• Caste discrimination