The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘Only internal governance will help Dalits achieve equality’

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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

‘Only internal governance will help Dalits achieve equality’

Staff Correspondent

Ambedkar birth anniversary celebrations in Tumkur

Birth anniversary of Jagjivan Ram too celebrated
1,001 members of Dalit Panchayats of Tumkur honoured

TUMKUR: Dalits have realised that they could achieve equality only through improving their internal governance, said Jyotiraj, director of Bhooshakti Kendra, here on Monday.

The kendra, a Dalit’s religious centre, and the Rural Education Development Society jointly organised the 117th birth anniversary celebrations of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the 101st birth anniversary celebrations of Babu Jagjivan Ram, at Chilume, the police welfare house, here.

Ms. Jyotiraj honoured members of 1,001 Dalit Panchayats that have been formed by the kendra in as many villages in the district.

She said: “Most of our Dalit leaders are women and therefore, they are achieving results beyond normal human expectations.”

She said that two-and-a-half-years ago we had set a target for formation and consolidation of 900 Dalit Panchayats in 900 villages of the district. It was to be achieved by September 30, 2008. And, 1,001 Dalit Panchayats have been formed in as many villages in the district now, she said.

Ms. Jyotiraj said it was a matter of great satisfaction that “we have arrived where we wanted to arrive much earlier.”

The Kannada version of “Dalitocracy” was released on the occasion.

It is a book written by Raju Swamiji of the kendra on Dalit politics with emphasis on a demand for proportionate electoral representation for the Dalits.

Ms. Jyotiraj said international campaign for proportionate electoral system would be launched with a conference in Bangladesh. Delegates from India, Germany, the Netherlands, England and Sweden would participate.

She said that about 20,000 Dalit leaders gathered in Tumkur on April 14 of 2007 and democratically elected 100 representatives to Dalit Parliament through a ballot system. It was designed in the model of the proportionate electoral system.

She said that today’s function coincided with the first anniversary of Dalit Parliament.

She paid tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram and Babasaheb Ambedkar and said both had served the cause of Dalit liberation.

The occasion marked the closing ceremony of the first Diploma Course in Dalit Studies that was organised here for six months by the kendra.

She gave away certificates to 100 local Dalit leaders who passed the course. She said the next course would begin soon.

She said the kendra had been striving to improving the standard of life of the Dalits as well as securing them equal status in society.

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