JAMMU, JUNE 14: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the authorities to keep a check on caste-based discrimination of people in some parts of the state.
The order comes after members of the Dalit community in Kathua region of the state’s winter capital Jammu had moved court alleging harassment for drawing water from the well in Rasooh village.
The dalits sought intervention by the state government in restraining upper-caste families who, according to the, have been torturing them for using the well.
Justice Muhammad Yaqoob Mir issued notices to the Chief Secretary J&K, Financial Commissioner (Home), DGP J&K, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Kathua, SSP Kathua and Station House Officer Lakhanpur to ensure implementations of the direction.
“They will also file their affidavits indicating therein as to what steps they have taken as against the allegations contained in the memo of the petition”, the court held.
The dalit petitioners claimed that untouchability was still in practice in their village even to the knowledge of the officials.
“Even in the year 2012 such a practice of untouchability and casteism was being allowed and the culprits are left free,” they contended.
“On the one hand policies are being framed to uplift the under privileged people and in Kathua it is the contrary. There people are openly practicing untouchability and are being allowed to do so under the nose of the administration which has failed to take action and who, instead, encourage the upper caste people by asking us not to use the village well”, they said.
