The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Ensure Dalit participation in nation development'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 09, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Ensure Dalit participation in nation development'

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JULY 8. Dalit organisations have called upon the State and Central Governments to facilitate Dalits' uplift and ensure their participation in the nation's development.

This resolution was adopted by the Dalit Watch - Tamil Nadu, the Federation of Dalit Women's Empowerment, the Dalit Panchayat Women Presidents' Forum and the Women Development Resource Centre at a seminar on the `Lok Sabha election, new secular Government and common minimum programme, towards a new Dalit agenda 2004 - 09' held here recently.

It underscored the need to provide houses to poor Dalits residing in rural and urban areas and enhanced allocation should be made and hostels for Dalit students and employed women established. Drinking water resources in Dalit habitations should be improved and avenues created for the educated youth, artisans and physically handicapped persons to find gainful employment.

Another resolution stressed the need for filling up vacancies for Dalits in government offices, and sought implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs and a special allocation for Dalit women and minorities in reservation.

To ensure that the people dwelling in remote and far-flung areas did not forgo education, the Government should establish hostels and educational institutions in their vicinity.

The programme director of the Women Development Resource Centre, Manohari Doss, Edward M. Arockiadoss, Lakshmanan of Chennai, Dassan of Kannur University, Lourdunathan and Leena Manimekalai participated.

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