The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Kharge gave Dalits self-esteem'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 22, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Kharge gave Dalits self-esteem'

Staff Reporter

Water Resources Minister given a statue of the Buddha

BANGALORE: It was almost as if the dais was groaning under the weight of the eminent people gathered on it, as speaker after speaker hailed the new President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, and celebrated his 64th birthday.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, said the late Basavalingappa, who was always game for a prank, and brought a lively touch to the art of espousing the Dalits' cause, was very much missed today in politics, but Mr. Kharge, his "best buddy" who is the other "Solillada Saradara" along with himself, is the man of the moment.

Siddalingaiah, former MLC, who gave a glimpse of the contents of "Samartha," a souvenir volume released on the occasion, said writers, including Kagodu Thimmappa, former Minister; Shivaramu, bureaucrat, and Sha. Shi Marulaiah, editor, had described Mr. Kharge as a man who gave Dalits self-esteem and reminded them that B.R. Ambedkar had not wanted mere jobs for Dalits, but he wanted to see them in positions of decision-making.

For most of those who had filled the entire auditorium at the Ambedkar Bhavan for over three-and-a-half hours listening to the adulatory speeches, this was the celebration of the man who two decades ago appointed 18,000 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as teachers.

Women's empowerment

He was the man who facilitated the participation of women in the cooperative movement and the one who always wore his commitment for the Dalits' cause on his sleeve. The book described Mr. Kharge as the man who reminded Dalits "they have to chart their own map for empowerment."

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, H.D. Mahadevappa, described him as the new charioteer of the Dalit juggernaut waiting to claim its share in globalisation and economic empowerment pie and today's function was a message from his people to "lead us, and we are with you, pulling the chariot."

Mr. Kharge was given a statue of the Buddha.

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