⚖️ A LEGAL STRIKE AT CASTE PRIDE


⚖️ A LEGAL STRIKE AT CASTE PRIDE

In a landmark decision the Allahabad High Court has issued a significant judgement on September 16, 2025 in the case of Praveen Chetri vs State of UP and Others. It aimed at dismantling the deep-rooted caste system in India banning the mention of castes in police records and orders action against the use of caste-based stickers on vehicles.

This ruling is hailed as a significant step towards achieving a truly caste-less society. It reinforces the constitutional ideal of equality under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. It strikes at a practice that the court has described as a “Legal Fallacy” and a means of “Identity Profiling”.

⚖️ Legal Fallacy & Identification Fallacy

  • The Legal Fallacy – The defense that mentioning caste is justified because it has been a long-standing practice in police manuals and government forms.
    • Court’s View: A tradition that violates the constitutional principle of equality, enshrined in the Preamble and Article 14, must be changed.
  • The Identification Fallacy – The belief that mentioning caste in official documents (FIR, Seizure Memos) is necessary for proper identification.
    • Court’s View: This serves no lawful purpose and in fact reinforces prejudice.

🚫 BAN ON CASTE IN POLICE REPORTS

  • No more caste entries – The Court directed the UP government to immediately stop the practice of mentioning a person’s caste in police documents such as FIRs, Arrest Memos, Police Station Notice Boards, etc. It reinforces prejudice and violates fundamental rights.
  • Alternative Identification – To address the concern of identifying individuals with similar names, the court suggested using parents’ name, Aadhaar number, fingerprints, and mobile numbers.
  • Exception – The only exception is in cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, where identifying caste is a necessary legal requirement.
  • Government Action – In compliance with the High Court’s Order, the UP government has issued directives to all police units and district administration to remove caste references from police records and public notices. The state’s CCTNS portal will be updated to delete caste fields, and officials instructed to leave such fields blank until changes are complete.

🚘 ACTION AGAINST CASTE STICKERS ON VEHICLES

  • Ban on Stickers and Slogans – High Court observed that the display of caste-based stickers, slogans, and identifiers on vehicles is a “Coded Assertion of Social Power” undermining constitutional values.
  • Penalties – Vehicles displaying caste names and slogans to be fined under the Motor Vehicles Act.
  • Government Action – UP Government has ordered authorities to issue challans to vehicles with caste-based stickers and slogans.

🌐 BROADER DIRECTIVES AND OBSERVATIONS

  • Caste-Based Rallies & Social Media – The judgement also addresses caste glorification in public and digital spaces. It bans caste-based political rallies and urges stricter monitoring on social media to prevent caste pride or hate content.
  • Anti-National Practice – The Court condemned caste glorification as “Anti-National”, quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s warning that caste divisions are a threat to India’s unity. True patriotism lies in respecting the Constitution and not in one’s lineage.
  • Removal of Public Sign Boards – The UP Government has directed the removal of sign boards in towns and villages that glorify caste identities or declare areas as belonging to a particular caste.

✅ Conclusion

Praveen Chetri vs State of UP and Others judgement has effectively transformed a routine liquor smuggling case into a profound indictment of the pervasive and anti-constitutional practice of caste identification.

In a modern, secular and democratic India, the state and its institutions must actively dismantle, not reinforce, the psychological and social architecture of the caste system.

The Court reaffirmed that true national pride lies not in lineage, but in upholding constitutional values of equality, fraternity, and a casteless society.

This case proves that even a small matter can spark a major revolution in public mindset and policy, becoming a catalyst for legal and social reform in Uttar Pradesh – aimed at promoting a more egalitarian and casteless society.

✍️ Author:
Advocate Mamta Shukla
Supreme Court of India                                                                                                                                                                    📞 9560044035 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  “ EU THANASIA : Mercy Killing or Death with Dignity ” “Under Article 21” of the Indian Constitution-  " No Person shall be deprived of his life and personal liberty except according to procedure establish by Law", which means the State shall ensure good quality of life, livelihood, liberty and a dignified life .   The question as to whether the Right to Life includes the Right Not to Life or to Right to Die . Death can be defined as the Termination of life which means death which is caused a) Naturally b) Unnaturally. Further, it can be caused by the action as well as the inaction of a person.   Causing the extinction of a life unnaturally by the action of oneself or someone else can be morally bad at the same time it is legally punishable.   WHAT IS EUTHANASIA- Many a times life becomes very painful and unbearable so a man may wish death. This voluntary act of embracing death is known as Euthanasia or Mercy Killing or Dayamarana.   DI...
Read more

Sari, (All) Saree, Sorry………

Image
  Sari, (All) Saree, Sorry………   “ We only allow smart casuals and saree does not come under smart casuals”. Brown girl in the posh restaurant in New Delhi prohibits the entrance of a Brown lady, yeah you got it right we are not referring to this particular incident of British era but to our own state capital of India which has attained freedom at midnight on 15 th  August, 1947. Unknowingly, my mind wondered and started flipping the pages of “India’s Struggle For Independence” by Bipin Chandra. As far as I remember it was “Swadeshi and Non-Cooperation” Movement launched as a potent tool to drive away the colonial yoke from India. When this phrase turned out to be “Non-Swadeshi (attire) Non-Entrence.” But I apologize that I forgot the Philosophy that “Time is the best Healer” How long can we remember and cling to the old rhetoric that some crazy guys sacrificed their lives for the country. We must “Forget and Forgive” and “Let Go”. Yes, I do remember Punjabi song – “Brown ...
Read more