Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Misuse of law” (March 22). The Supreme Court’s ruling to check misuse of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has given credence to long-standing complaints regarding the misuse of this law which protects Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from casteist slurs and discrimination.
On several occasions, upper caste victims have alleged that they have been made to suffer for no fault of their own. Now the top court has gone a step further, terming it as an instrument of blackmail, targeting innocent citizens and public servants. Public servants have suffered enough. Every law, including against rape, dowry or child marriage, has the potential to be misused. The Atrocities Act is no exception.
There must be checks and balances to prevent its abuse as well. The top court implicitly seems to argue that laws cannot be made to appease political or caste interests, which dominate electoral politics.
However, there is no denying the fact that there are growing instances of attacks on SCs and STs. Caste rivalries for political largesse is still an ugly reality.