Page 526 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

10. DALIT ATROCITIES ACT

“The history of India is nothing but a history of a mortal conflict between

Buddhism and Brahminism.” — Dr B R Ambedkar

1. The Supreme Court order which allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes

and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act sparked of a flurry

of Dalit protests in several states of the country and the resultant
violence saw the loss of several lives.

2. The Supreme Court in its order on 20 March 2018 removed a provision

for the automatic arrest of those accused under the Act, and made it

mandatory for the police to conduct preliminary enquiries within seven
days of a complaint before filing an FIR. The judgement also mandated

a public servant’s arrest under this provision to be effected only with the
written concurrence of his superior in public authority. The honourable

judges opined that the Atrocities Act was subject to misuse and criminal

abuse by way of blackmail and extortion and has only served to
perpetuate casteism.

3. To comprehend the nuances of this Act and the resistance to the

Supreme Court orders, there is a need to place the entire issue in

perspective.

Genesis

4. The genesis of the Dalit Atrocities Act can be traced back to the

centuries-old caste-based structure, which in a contemporary context is
not only discriminatory, but inhuman and derogatory. The so-called

“caste system” was institutionalised on the ritual and employment

profile. The caste was assigned to a human based on the family and
background rather than profiling an individual on his other qualities and

traits, which define modern-day humans.