Madh, a tribal youth, was beaten to death by a mob for allegedly stealing from a shop in Agali.Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday initiated a case suo motu in the murder of tribal youth Madhu, 35, of Attappadi. The court also appointed advocate Deepak as amicus curiae in the case.
The proceedings were initiated on the basis of a letter written by justice Surendra Mohan to the chief justice stating that the incident was a 'blot' on the society and an 'eye opener' to the atrocities on tribals by other members of the society.
"If the tribal youth had to steal food to stave off hunger, it is clear that welfare schemes for tribals have failed to deliver. Such schemes need to be revamped to ensure that they reach the intended beneficiaries. The incident is a blot on the conscience of society and the court needs to intervene to introduce corrective measures," the letter said.
"Things that are happening in society don’t look good on the educated members of a literate state. It is understood that the youth was lynched for stealing a meager quantity of rice and other provisions. It is an example of how other members of the society see the tribals and a reflection of degradation of moral values.
"The court should issue a directive to strictly enforce law to prevent atrocities against the tribal people," the letter suggested.
Apart from government projects, several organizations are working for the welfare of the tribal people. But none of their programs have borne fruit. There were reports that the tribal youth had to quit his job because of his co-workers' hostilities. The fact that the youth was mentally challenged adds more seriousness to the incident, it said.
