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The Telangana chapter of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), along with other state-level anti-caste organisations, held a public meeting on Sunday, January 25, to review the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A seven-member jury comprising civil society representatives heard testimonies detailing atrocities faced by Dalits and Adivasis from various parts of Telangana.
The jury examined 90 cases presented before it, of which victims in 30 cases deposed in person at the review meeting held at Hyderabad’s Sundarayya Vignyana Kendram (SVK).
The cases reflected a wide range of issues, including inter-caste and gender-based killings, sexual assault, police torture, custodial violence, and verbal abuse.
Speaking at the meeting on the failure to effectively implement the SC/ST Act, retired judge Justice Nimma Narayana said that the Supreme Court and High Courts had not been sufficiently proactive in applying legislative rigour while examining cases under the Act.
Advocate Darshanam Narasimha highlighted Section 4 of the Act, which provides for punishment of public servants, including police officers, for neglect of duty.
Speakers such as Professors Sujatha Surepally, Rama Melkote, and Kalpana Kannabiran spoke on issues of gender, caste-based humiliation, and constitutional morality, stressing the need for strict and meaningful implementation of the SC/ST Act.
The panel noted that the Telangana government must ensure uniform implementation of the Act across the state and demanded the establishment of district-level vigilance and monitoring committees in all districts.
The jury said it would submit a list of demands to the Telangana government to ensure effective implementation of the Act in the foreseeable future.
The public hearing forms part of a year-long Constitutional Justice Campaign initiated by NAPM Telangana from Republic Day 2026.