Minister for Power K. Krishnankutty made a fervent call to the legal fraternity to ensure justice to the downtrodden tribal community of Attappady.
Delivering his presidential address at the inaugural of a Munsif Magistrate Court at Attappady on Saturday, Mr. Krishnankutty bewailed the pathetic conditions of the tribespeople even 75 years after India became independent.
“If we don’t take care of them, I’m afraid there will not be genuine complainants and genuine legal proceedings. These people don’t know what are their rights, let alone making a complaint. They don’t know how to complain. Create legal awareness among them first,” the Minister exhorted the legal community.
He suggested that free legal aid should be given at both taluk and panchayat levels. Legal clinics should be opened at panchayat level, he said.
“Have you seen a tribal family coming to a restaurant or a hotel in a car? This is our freedom. Tribal students are being discouraged from taking up science groups. We are denying their opportunities,” he said.
The Minister said that ₹160 crores was kept aside to ensure power supply to the remaining 97 tribal hamlets in Attappady. He also said that precision farming schemes were being mooted to help the tribespeople.
However, the Minister did not hide his disappointment later when High Court Judge Dinesh Kumar Singh, the judge in charge of Palakkad judicial district, inaugurated the court building by cutting the ribbon without waiting for the former to reach the premises.
Tripped over steps
The inaugural day, however, proved to be discomfiting and embarrassing for several lawyers and their clients when they tripped over the steps to the courtyard. At least half a dozen of them tripped and fell.
Preetha Pattath, lawyer from Mannarkkad, sprained her ankle after she fell. Her colleagues helped her and provided first aid. She said she would seek medical help.
What caused the embarrassing movements was the lack of care in the construction of the steps. Many fell because they could not see the steps as they walked out of the court room into the courtyard.
