http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/28/stories/2010112858620200.htmTamil Nadu - Madurai
"Unity among Dalits indispensable"
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: 'Land is our strength' and the struggles to claim lands meant
for us should be our priority and to achieve that unity among Dalits
is indispensable and we should remember Dr. Ambedkar's words, "
Educate, Agitate and Organise" and fight relentlessly to grab the keys
of emancipation, said P.Sivakami, former Civil Services Officer and
founder-president of Samooga Samathuva Padai.
Delivering the special address at the State-level conference on 'Dalit
Women Speak Out: Challenges and Struggles,' here on Saturday, she said
that irrespective of the upward economic mobility and positions of
power achieved, caste determines the social position of a person and
the prejudices attached to it victimise them through various forms of
discrimination.
She highlighted how the National Commission of Scheduled Castes in its
report found out that in Tamil Nadu, the SC/ST Prevention of
Atrocities Act, 1989 was not fully implemented and how the Act's
recommendations like a yearly review of its implementation at the
level of Chief Minister was not even conducted since 1989. The
commission also sought information from the State about the number of
Dalits who received two acre land from the State Government's two-acre
free land scheme.
Ms. Sivakami said that the Chief Minister, instead of responding to
the above queries, had asked how the commission could make those
charges, this attitude shows the Government's "anti-Dalit" stance.
While welcoming the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Tamil Nadu
Untouchability Eradication Front's efforts to quell caste oppression,
she said that a much more determined effort is needed as it only
functions at the surface level and should try to uproot the problem.
Talking about the SCSP, she said that all the funds meant for Dalits
had been diverted and if used in a few cases had only bypassed them.
She also said that struggle for Panchami Lands and lands meant for
Dalits is going to fortify and would ultimately determine the Dalit
struggle for emancipation.
G. Latha, MLA, Gudiyatham, CPI (M), in her felicitation speech,
recalled the days of her childhood when she witnessed the practices of
untouchability committed against her grandfather who despite the fact
that he was holding more lands in the village had to suffer
discrimination.
She also cited how in the land of social reformer Periyar atrocities
could happen on such a large scale. Referring to government
statistics, the MLA said that child labour is high among Dalit
children and also stated that many Dalit women are aneamic than the
national average.
She gave many instances where both CPI (M) and TNUEF fought for the
rights of Dalits.
The resolutions are that the Government should provide five acres to
Dalit women to have a sustained livelihood and reservation should be
guaranteed for Dalit women in private sector employment with special
focus on IT and media industry.
An effective monitoring mechanism should be initiated to ensure that
elected Dalit woman panchayats are functioning autonomously. National
Commission for Women and NCST should publish a joint status report on
the status of Dalit women every year.
The conference was organised by Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO.
A. Kathir in his inaugural address listed out the objectives of the
conference as an effort to make Dalit women speak for themselves and
to inform the world that they achieved so much despite so many social
handicaps.
Young Dalit women, including lawyers, medical professionals, lecturers
and panchayat presidents, participated in the conference and spoke
about their achievements overcoming many a hurdle in their lives.
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