Injustice in any form or circumstance is the denial of the basic fundamental right, the right to justice. As a human being we are entitled to live our lives with the right to liberty and dignity. But the privilege of this right is enjoyed by only a select portion of the society. On the other hand some are forced to lead a life of denial, disgrace and deprivation. This is the case with the Dalit clan of Tamil Nadu. The injustices done to them are a mark of shame on the face of humanity. They have been denied the right to property, to select a candidate of their choice but also the right to contest elections. Any candidate, who dares to contest the elections against the elite Hindus or the upper castes, is tortured, threatened and in worst cases even murdered. They are not permitted inside or even near the religious premises and treated as untouchables.
The involvement of the police as an accomplice in committing these atrocities further worsens the situation. Dalits are falsely implicated in many judicial cases; Dalit women are molested and raped in police custody. Their property, goods and valuables are destroyed on the pretext of conducting raids. Moreover they are subjected to the most inhuman torture if they dare to speak up. The right to freedom of expression or speech is violated and if someone protests the right to live is also seized from that person. For example, on June 30, 1997 Murugesan, a Dalit candidate who won in elections was murdered when he was returning from a visit to the collector's office to inquire about compensation for houses burned in an earlier incident. (Devakumar, p. 48)
Such brutalities need to be dealt with grave concern. The government should provide support in the form of protection and justice to uplift these deprived people. Only then these people can hope to achieve the right of equality and live in a dignified way.
References
Devakumar, J (2007). Caste Clashes and Dalits Rights Violations in Tamil Nadu. Social
Scientist. Pp. 45-51, Retrieved March 13, 2013, from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/27644251 .
