why has constitution made untouchability a punishable offence.
Answers
Article 17 of our Constitution states that untouchability is punishable offence.
For the eradiction of untouchability the untouchability offence act was passed in 1955 which makes untouchability a punsiable offence.
It imposes both fine and imprisonment for the person who is guitly for the act if untochability .
This Act provides penalties for the offences like preventing a person from entering into public temples or places of worship, preventing the drawing of water from sacred lakes, tanks, wells etc. Enforcing all kinds of social disabilities such as preventing people from the use of a ‘dharmasala’, any shop, public restaurant, public hospital, hotel, educational institutions or any other place of public entertainment denying the use of any road, river, well, water top, river bank, cremation ground, etc.
Untouchability means secluding the deprived classes. It is a social evil because by practicing untouchability backward classes are deprived of the same rights which the other classes enjoy. Though Indian constitution prohibits untouchability but still it is practiced in many regions.