The Hindu : Karnataka News : Call to ameliorate plight of Dalits, Koragas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Call to ameliorate plight of Dalits, Koragas

By Our Staff Correspondent

GURUVAYANAKERE, JUNE 8. It is the duty of society to ameliorate the sufferings of Dalits and Koragas, Somanath, President of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, has said.

Speaking after inaugurating "Dalitapara Chintane," a programme organised by the Nagarika Seva Trust to mark the 113th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar here recently, he noted that 65 per cent of the Dalits were living in poverty. He stressed the need to simplify procedures so that more Dalits and Koragas could avail themselves of the benefits of government schemes.

Mr. Somanath, who is a Dalit, said many people from the community, who had come up in life, had joined the upper caste members in exploiting poor Dalits.

Dr. Ambedkar was not merely a leader of the Dalits but of the nation, he said and endorsed the view of Dr. Ambedkar that a nation could progress only when all sections of society joined hands.

Annu Sadhana, Belthangady taluk convener of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, who was the chief guest, noted that the nation celebrated the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar on a grand scale every year without taking any measure to improve the lot of Dalits. He said Dr. Ambedkar had been a visionary as he thought about the system and not about a community.

Dr. Ambedkar dedicated his life to changing the social system, working out ways and means to help the poor, Mr. Sadhana said. While reservation was a tool to help Dalits, their progress would come about only if they were empowered socially, economically, and politically, he added.

K. Somanath Nayak, president of the NST, who presided over the function, said it should be the duty of every individual to work for the downtrodden sections of society. Women and Dalits were being exploited, he said and added that it was important for people to work together to check this trend. The "exploited" sections of society should unite as a political entity and raise their voice against exploitation, Mr. Nayak said. The only way to resolve the problems faced by Dalits, members of the backward communities, and others was to vest adequate powers with gram sabhas, he noted.

Raghu Dharmasena of the Bahujan Samaj Party delivered a lecture on "Ambedkar and contemporary society." B.K. Parameshwar Rao, director of the NST, welcomed the gathering. Rajeev Saliyan, deputy director, delivered the introductory remarks.

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