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The Supreme Court
– Photo: ANI
expansion
The Supreme Court today gave its historic verdict in a petition related to ‘discrimination on the basis of caste’. The court said that in assigning the work of cleaning and sweeping to the lower layers of the prison and the task of cooking to the upper castes, there is direct discrimination and this is a violation of Article 15. The Supreme Court also canceled discriminatory provisions in the prison manuals of several countries and condemned the practice of discrimination based on caste, division of labor and keeping prisoners in separate wings according to their caste.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud also issued several directions to end caste-based discrimination in prisons.
what’s the matter
Let us tell you, in this petition filed in the Supreme Court, it is alleged that the prison manuals of several states in the country promote discrimination on the basis of caste. The Supreme Court sought responses not only from Uttar Pradesh but also from 17 states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on caste discrimination in prisons and jobs given to inmates on the basis of prison caste. The Supreme Court requested responses from several states in January this year. However, even after six months, only Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have submitted their reply to the court.
Allotment of work is not allowed on the basis of caste etc.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra said on Thursday that such practices leading to unfair distribution of work in jails and allotment of work on the basis of caste etc. cannot be allowed.
Condemned the practice of discrimination
The bench also said that in accordance with the rules of the state, caste cannot be used as a reason to discriminate against prisoners belonging to marginal sections in prisons. Along with this, the Supreme Court condemned the practice of discrimination on the basis of caste in the prison books of various countries. The court said that prisoners of all classes should be treated humanely and equally. Certain categories of prisoners have the right to a fair distribution of work in prisons.
The court said this in the permit for cleaning sewage tanks
The Supreme Court said in a strict tone that prisoners will not be allowed to clean sewage tanks in dangerous conditions. The bench ordered the police to act honestly in handling cases of caste discrimination.
The Supreme Court struck down the objectionable rules of the state prison manual. He also ordered the states to correct them within three months. The court said that selection of sanitation workers from a particular caste is completely against basic equality.
This argument was taken into account in January
In January this year, the court sought a response from the Center and 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, on the petition of Sukanya Shanta, a resident of Kalyan, Maharashtra. The court noted the claim that the prison rules of these countries discriminated in the allocation of work in their prisons and that the status of the prisoners determined their place of residence.
The petition cited the Kerala jail rules and said they differentiate between habitual convicts and re-convicts. The petition alleged that the West Bengal Jail Act states that prison work should be assigned on the basis of castes, such as cooking work to be done by dominant castes and general work to be done by people from certain castes.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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