Expressing strong anguish over hardships faced by those belonging to the SC community and little change in the situation even today, a division bench, comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi, said, “We have to hang our head in shame for having ill-treated and discriminated the Scheduled Caste people for centuries together. Even today, they are not properly treated and offences are continuing against them.

They don’t even get appropriate basic amenities.” Pointing out that people from Scheduled Castes should have graveyards, the bench suo motu impleaded the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Revenue Department and State’s Municipal Administration & Water Supply Department and sought answers for queries ranging from the number of SC habitations in the State and whether all such habitations have got drinking water facilities, street lights and toilet facilities as well as roads to the graveyards.

However, it also noted that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was introduced to remedy the ill-treatment of members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and that while the Act may be abused by some, especially those employed in the government, those were aberrations.