The Dalit families were afraid of angering the powerful castes because they depended on them for their livelihood.

The Supreme Court directed every department/ministry of the Union and State Governments to verify the facts stated in the PIL filed by the Safai Karamchari Andolan. It stated that if manual scavenging was found to exist, then the government department has to actively take up a time bound programme for their rehabilitation and liberation.

The ill-treatment and humiliation of Dalits and tribal groups acquired a violent character in the 1970s and 1980s. During this period, a number of assertive Dalit groups came into being in Southern India and asserted their rights. They refused to perform their so-called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally. This resulted in a severe backlash from the powerful castes. In order to indicate to the government that untouchability still existed, Dalit groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe stringent punishment for those who indulge in them.

The court had directed the departments of central and state government to verify the condition of manual scavenging and to introduce time-bound programme for their liberation and rehabilitation.

The dalits are enlightened about their rights and they utilize the Fundamental Rights if they are discriminated by the individual, community or by the government. Now, they have drawn the attention of the government of India to follow the Constitution and to ensure justice for them.

This Act contains a very long list of crimes. It distinguishes several levels of crimes:
(a) It lists modes of humiliation that are both physically horrific and morally reprehensible and seeks to punish who
(i) force to member of a SC or ST to drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious substance,
(ii) forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a SC or a ST or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or commits any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity.
(b) it lists actions that dispossess Dalit and Adivasis of their meagre resource or which force them into performing slave labour.
(c) The Act seeks to penalise anyone who assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonour her.

(i) The practice of untouchability is a form of social discrimination against certain groups based on their castes. India has been a severe victim of this social evil since ages.
(ii) Framers of the Indian Constitution were unanimous on making a strong law to end this inhuman practice.
(iii) Article 17 of the Constitution of India declares abolition of the practice of untouchability. In accordance with the Constitutional provisions, the Government of India has passed the Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955 and later the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 to eradicate caste based discrimination and upliftment of the people belonging to deprived sections of the society.
(iv)The government has introduced reservation system in educational institutes, government services and elected institutions.