The new and improved Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amend-ment Act, 2015, comes into force from January 26, Republic Day.
The new and improved Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amend-ment Act, 2015, comes into force from January 26, Republic Day. It provides for stringent action against those committing atrocities against persons of the SC and ST communities or indulging in actions derogatory to their dignity, including social or economic boycott. As per the new legislation, actions like tonsuring of the head, moustache, or similar acts which are derogatory to the dignity of members of SCs and STs, will now be treated as offences of atrocities.
The offences include denying access to irrigation facilities or forest rights, “garlanding with chappals”, compelling them to dispose or carry human or animal carcasses, or to dig graves, using or permitting manual scavenging, dedicating a SC or ST woman as a devadasi and abusing in caste name, an official statement issued by the social justice ministry said.
Imposing social or economic boycott, hurting an SC or ST woman by removing her garments, forcing a member of the SC/ST to leave house, village or residence, acts or gestures of a sexual nature against members of SCs and STs, etc., are also included in the offences.
Impeding certain activities related to voting, especially to vote or not vote for a particular candidate, will also be considered an offence, it added.
“Certain criminal (IPC) offences, like hurt, grievous hurt, intimidation, kidnapping, etc., attracting less than 10 years of imprisonment, committed against members of the SCs/STs, will be treated as offences punishable under the PoA Act. At presently, only those offences listed in the IPC as attracting punishment of 10 years or more and committed on members of SCs/STs are accepted as offences falling under the PoA Act,” said the statement.
