SC/ST members can't be left to die in 'death traps': SC

Members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are still struggling for equality and civil rights, and are left to die in sewer chambers which are like "death traps", the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

The apex court, which observed that the SC/ST members are still discriminated against in matter of civil rights, said they have been suffering ignominy, abuse and have been outcast socially for centuries.

"They do labour, bonded or forced, in agricultural fields, which is not abrogated in spite of efforts. In certain areas, women are not treated with dignity and honour and are sexually abused in various forms. We see sewer workers dying due to poisonous gases in chambers. They are like death traps," a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said.

"We have not been able to provide masks and oxygen cylinders for entering in sewer chambers. We cannot leave them to die like this and avoid tortious liability concerned with officials/machinery, and they are still discriminated within the society in the matter of enjoying their civil rights and cannot live with human dignity," the bench, also comprising justices M R Shah and B R Gavai, said.

The observations by the bench came in its 51-page verdict in which it recalled apex court's direction in its March 20, 2018 judgement which had virtually diluted provisions of arrest under the SC/ST Act.

Referring to the prevailing conditions, the bench said, "We are compelled to observe that SCs/STs are still making the struggle for equality and for exercising civil rights in various areas of the country."
"Basic human dignity implies that all the persons are treated as equal human in all respects and not treated as an untouchable, downtrodden, and object for exploitation," it said, adding, "It also implies that they are not meant to be born for serving the elite class based upon the caste."