By Saiyed Danish, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Among protests at Jantar Mantar remembering the Babri Demolition on December 6, two Dalit conventions were also organized in solidarity by National Coalition on Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan Legislation (NACSTL) at one front and by Adivasi Adhikar Andolan (AAA), Rashtriya Dalit Mahila Andolan (RDMA), National Alliance for Labour Rights (NALR), Akhil Bhartiya MNREGA Mazdoor Union (ABMMU) and Rashtriya Dalit Mahasabha (RDM) at a little distance from the first as the day is also remembered as Babasaheb Ambedkar’s death anniversary.
In the program NACSTL, the major demand voiced by various activists and Dalit leaders who participated in it was a budget for addressing urban poverty issues. They chanted the slogan of “Sau mein pacchis haq hamara”.
“Funds allocated under SCP-TSP are quite rampantly misused, diverted or let being lapsed. Despite contradictory notions about urban poverty, fact is that this diversion of funds is more glaring in urban areas. National capital, Delhi is a prime example of it, where it is blatantly done in name of general development. In a response dated June 30, 2010 to an RTI application, the Government of Delhi affirmed that Rs. 744.354 crores from the SCP fund was utilized for the purpose of the Commonwealth Games and Rs. 1.6218 crores were spent to meet the expenses of Queen’s Baton Relay in the cultural segment,” said Beena J Pallical, national co-ordinator NCDHR.
Abhay, a Dalit agitator said in his speech while addressing the crowd of hundreds, “In Mahabharat, Eklavya was more competent than Arjuna but he belonged to a lower caste so his thumb had to be cut to promote an upper caste student of Dronacharya. So the problem did not born today it exists since before our forefathers also had not been born.”
“The government had told us that 16% of the Commonwealth Budget was meant for SCs but we felt betrayed when lavishes stadiums like Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was constructed and roads for VVIPs were built from our budget,” said Paul Diwakar the convenor of the programme.
Partner organisations working on urban poverty and associated with NCDHR: Jhuggi Jhopdi Ekta Manch, Hamaari Ummeed, Labour Education and Development Society, Ideal Youth Club, Mazdoor Yuva Vikas Samiti, Nazdeek, Chetanalaya, Baljeet Nagar, Indian Social Institute, Delhi, PRASAR, Dalit Christian Society, Safai Karamchari Aandolan, Matri Sudha, Nai Drishti Education and Cultural Organisation, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights-Dalit Artihk Adhikar Andolan, Housing and Land Rights Network.
The second Dalit convention was titled National Dalit Assembly March and attended by thousands of people claiming nearly half the space of Jantar Mantar protest strip.
Addressing the National Dalit Assembly, Shri Ashok Bharti, Chairman, National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), stated the main agenda of the day upheld the inclusive planning processes and voiced for 5 acres Land Rights of Dalits. “It is critically important for the country to invest its resources in proportion to the population of Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe, and OBC simultaneously. Then well-being will ensure stable and inclusive growth,” he further said.
Shri D. Raja, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, addressed the gathering as the Chief Guest and said, “Communist Party of India (CPI)is proactively working towards empowerment of Dalits / Adivasis but still there is the need of more attention and assertion by the beneficiaries’ themselves.”
Rajni Tilak, Chairman, Rashtriya Dalit Mahila Andolan said that leadership opportunities should be given to women. She also mentioned that government should receive specific budget in proportion to their population percentage.
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