The Bharath Bandh led to the death of seven people after Dalit groups protested in North India today over a Supreme Court order. The protests were mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand.
The Punjab Government put the army on stand by and public transport was kept off the roads. The Dalits are protesting a Supreme Court order that dilutes a law meant to fight against the community.
The shutdown was called by the Dalit groups protesting the changes in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. On the 20th of March, the Apex Court introduced two new provisions in the law. One stopping immediate arrest of an accused and second introducing a provision for bail.
This law is to protect caste violence against Dalits but these cases are rarely closed. According to the groups it is the top Court’s bad decision to add the new provisions. The Dalits have highlighted the number of atrocities against their community have risen and there is a low rate of conviction.
The Government filed a petition to the Supreme Court requesting to rethink the order. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “We have filed a very comprehensive review (petition)… senior lawyers will argue (the case) with all authority.”
Opposition parties like Congress have sided with Dalits and lashed out at the ruling party for negligence.
