http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dalit-becomes-entrepreneur-without-use-of-quotas/189929-3.html
Updated Oct 04, 2011 at 11:18am IST
Quota not a must for success: Dalit businessman
Kajal IyerKajal Iyer, CNN-IBN
Pune: Taking inspiration from the Black Capitalism movement in the US
in the 70's, India's Dalit community is now focusing on a parallel
Dalit capitalism movement. The movement started by a handful of Dalit
entrepreneurs, is slowly becoming the new war cry for progress in the
community.
Dalit entrepreneur Milind Kamble said, "If you are a true follower of
Babasaheb Ambedkar, you can't be a job seeker, you have to be a job
giver."
Had he listened to his father, who was a teacher, Milind Kamble would
have fulfilled the Dalit dream of a 'safe' government job. He,
however, chose to use his engineering education to build a Rs 70 crore
construction company in Pune with no help from 'quotas'.
"Till when the Dalit youth keep fighting captialists? We need to stand
up and become captialist ourselves. Being followers of babasaheb, we
will not indulgde in exploitation but we can still earn lots of
money." said Kamble.
Despite initial financial hiccups, Kamble is now fairly successful in
an industry where Dalits are mostly labourers. With sheer
determination he has now joined the ranks of India's first generation
Dalit entrepreneurs.
According to the 61st round of the national sample survey in 2004-05,
29 per cent of urban Dalits were self employed, whereas, in rural
areas, 7 per cent Dalits were entrepreneurs. The 2006-07 census of
MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium enterprises) said that Dalits account
for 7.7 per cent of the 1.55 million MSMEs in India.
To represent these entrepreneurs, Kamble created the Dalit Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (DICCI) in 2005. The forum has around 1000
members across the country and caters to training and funding needs of
Dalit businessmen.
Today the construction business is seeing the rise of many Dalit
entrepreneurs, businessmen like Kamble who no longer rely on caste
quotas for jobs but have made their way up in the private sector
through open competition.
This December DICCI plans a three day conclave in Mumbai which
business leaders like Ratan Tata and Adi Godrej are expected to
attend. While the new entrepreneurs admit quotas help, they say its
time now for Dalits to blaze their own trail.
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