THE horrific form of oppression carried out against the Dalit community came to light in a public hearing organised by right groups on Sunday.

The community scattered across the country has increasingly been falling victim to various forms of injustice and discrimination by the 'socially privileged.' This sheer display of negligence shown to a lower caste is reflective of prejudice that shouldn't have any place in modern day society.

It is primarily a social vice to stigmatise a class of people. For this to be overcome the broader community's mindset will have to change from within. Simultaneous with it the government should spread its wings of security and care for the vulnerable segments of the society.

The incidents of torture and repression that have been revealed need to be investigated and legal action taken against the perpetrators. We are heartened by the fact that right groups have promised legal aid to them. Awareness should be built among the community to seek justice for infringement of their rights.

We call for government's intervention besides implementing whatever measures are needed for protecting the Dalit community immediately. The community should not be allowed to think they are alone to fight for their rights; human rights should prevail over social inequalities irrespective of one's standing in society.