BANGALORE, Oct 22: Social Welfare Minister Kagodu Thimmappa today indicated that the State government would bring in legislation to ban the age-old inhuman traditions and rituals being practised among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

"The government will not hesitate to bring in any kind of legislation to put an end to such inhuman practices among the SC/STs," Mr Thimmappa said, while inaugurating a function organised here to discuss the draft report on 'inhuman practices among SC/STs'. However, he hinted that the government would try to do it only in a phased manner. A hasty action may receive stiff opposition from the public themselves as seen in the past, he said citing the example of 'Bettale seve' in Chandragutti.

This report is only an attempt to identify such inhuman practices, but suitable action needs to be taken to ban it, he said. Such practices cannot be eradicated just by laws and legislations alone, but requires complete cooperation of the people, he said and called upon the members of the SC/ST communities to 'refuse performing activities like drum beating which are imposed upon them by the upper castes'. "Why should such jobs be done only by the members of the SC/ST communities. Let others also learn it," he said.

Noted educationist Dr H Narasimhaiah said that the biggest inhuman practice in the country is caste system itself. "Our education system does not enlighten people. Instead, it just makes 'uneducated ignorants' into educated ignorants," he opined. If such inhuman practices have to be eradicated from the society, the mindset of the people has to change, he said.

The draft report has been prepared by the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and the State Resource Centre. The report has identified 29 types of inhuman practices among the SC/STs. A final report will be submitted to the government after deliberations.