The Hindu : National : Dalit activists stage rally demanding women’s rights

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Dalit activists stage rally demanding women’s rights

Staff Reporter

Mumbai: Dalit activists from the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) staged a rally here on Saturday demanding among other things, women’s rights, land and economic rights. “It is a declaration rally to flag the initiation of four movements — the National Dalit Movement for Justice, the All India Dalit Women’s Rights Forum, the Dalit Economic Campaign and the Land Rights Campaign.

We also want to reclaim the spirit of B. R. Ambedkar,” said the campaign convener Paul Divakar. Volunteers from Kerala, Tamil Nadu Karnataka and Puducherry took part. J. Vincent Manoharan, general secretary, NCDHR highlighted a new trend in caste discrimination in Tamil Nadu.

He said that walls were being erected around temples to bar the entry of Dalits, but it was being done in the name of protection. The marchers wore blue bandanas sporting the slogan ‘caste out caste’.

Public meeting

After the rally, a public meeting was held at the University of Mumbai campus. Prakash Ambedkar, head of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangha addressed the meeting.

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