Three members of the Mehtar community,traditional manual scavangers,were hacked to death at Sonai village in Ahmednagar district at the beginning of the year just because one of them was in love with a Maratha girl. Police arrested the accused but only after the media and activists exerted pressure. Acting chairperson of Maharashtra SC/ST Commission Justice (retired) C L Thool visited the village. He passed strictures,demanded immediate compensation for families of the victims and a police report. Despite being severely short of hands 13 of 27 staff posts and five member posts are vacant and government apathy,the commission formed in June 1,2006,has been performing efficiently. The appointment of Thool was made on January 14,2008,and that of another member,R P Walvi,in October 2008. The commission operates from the first floor of Worli Dairy office. Thool looks into SC cases and Walvi ST. The commission has disposed 3,381 of the 4,206 cases filed since 2006,granting relief to almost all complainants. But with just 50 per cent staff,it is not able to follow up disposed cases. For proper functioning,all seven members are needed,including a social worker,economist,IAS officer and an IPS officer. Lately,the commission has been active. Whenever an atrocity has been brought to its notice,members have intervened. However,the commission does not check if its recommendations are followed, said Pradip More,an activist associated with Delhi-based Dalit Foundation. Most complaints of atrocity are from Vidarbha,Marathwada and to an extent Mumbai. These three regions are more aware and proactive in raising voice against atrocity, said Thool. The commission recieves average 500 cases a year but is unable to pursue all and grant speedy relief due to the manpower crunch. Almost 1,000 cases are pending. Also,the state has an abysmal conviction rate (0.46 per cent) in atrocity cases and does not have a special court. Mangesh Dahiwale of Manuski,a Pune fighting for Dalit rights,said,The commission is a quasi-judicial body but it should not limit itself to listening to grievances. It should actively intervene and hold the state responsible for laxity in setting up courts and not taking atrocity cases seriously.
