State govt. should open special courts to hear SC/ST POA Act cases in all districts: CPI (M) State Secretary Shanmugam

P. Shanmugam, CPI (M) State secretary, addresses caste violence, sexual violence, education funding, and agricultural compensation in Tamil Nadu.

“To deal with the increasing caste-induced offences, special courts which function only in 20 districts, should be extended to all districts,” said P. Shanmugam, CPI (M) State secretary. 

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, he said, though the number of targeted violence against Scheduled Caste people have increased in the State, cases booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were not dealt in a timely manner.  

Condemning the recent attack on a SC youth in Manamadurai, Mr. Shanmugam said, in addition to providing a compensation amount to the victim, government should also consider providing a government job to the victim.  

Regarding the increasing incidents of sexual violence against women and girl children in colleges and schools, he said, the recent crimes that were being reported was very unfortunate and the teachers related to the sexual violence cases should also be punished severely. 

“In addition to dismissing such teachers, the education department officials should conduct awareness programmes in the institutions to make children aware of such incidents around them,” he added.  

Even when the Tamil Nadu government was reacting to the incidents that were being recorded, it should be working the other way, where the State should work towards prevention rather than acting after the crime had happened, he observed.