7.9
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Community
Action by Dalits |
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7.9.1 |
Dalit
communities must realise that Rights,
needs and entitlements will not automatically
be fulfilled by Government, only on
ethical considerations or consideration
of Constitutional mandates. They have
to be backed by sustained powerful,
democratic pressure. For this purpose |
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| 7.9.1.1 |
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They
must fully become aware of every one
of their Rights, needs and entitlements
and the action points and spread awareness
in the less aware sections of the
community. |
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7.9.1.2 |
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They
must mobilise for the fulfilment of
the various action points and to secure
the desired outcomes in a sustained
and continuous manner. |
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7.9.1.3 |
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Apart
from such sustained mobilisation,
there has to be immediate mobilisation
against specific instances of atrocities
as and when they occur, esp. mass
atrocities like massacres, mass-rapes
and gang-rapes, mass arsons and social
and economic boycotts and insult to
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statues;
ensuring that rallies and demonstrations
and other forms of protests are non-violent
while being powerful; and similarly
mobilise against major instances of
“untouchability”. Any
such event anywhere in India should
evoke such democratic protests everywhere
in India and not only in the same
State or region. |
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7.9.1.4 |
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They
should be watchful about any damage
done in the Plans to Dalits, which
have been happening and register their
objections powerfully so as to prevent/
reverse such instances. |
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| 7.9.1.5 |
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They
should utilise Parliamentary, Legislative
and Panchayati Raj fora, National
Commissions for SC and ST and Safai
Karamcharis and bodies like the Parliamentary
Forum of SC and ST M.Ps, Parliamentary
Committee on the Welfare of SC and
STs, and similar legislature bodies,
for common causes of Dalits, but not
restrict themselves to these fora.
Sustained mass action on the entire
front and instant peaceful response
to atrocities outside these fora have
also their importance. |
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| 7.9.1.6 |
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They
should build up unity of action on
all these matters among all Dalits.
They should not allow internal differences
to be exploited by others and should
learn to settle such differences internally
in a fair manner through mutual discussions
and negotiations. Unity of Dalits
must envelop all castes of Dalits
and all tribes of STs and unity between
SCs and STs. |
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7.9.1.7 |
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They
should build up similar unity of action
with other deprived sections in support
of each other’s Rights, needs
and entitlements, in solving each
other’s problems and participating
in mass actions of each instead of
confining themselves to their own
respective categories. |
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7.9.1.8 |
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They
should organize themselves into an
effective social coalition and build
up a powerful Front and a powerful
Movement of Social Justice fully involving
all the deprived categories and others
devoted to Social Justice, which in
turn can impact on the content and
direction of the Indian polity, economy
and society at the National level
as well as State and local levels,
and on this basis build up a massive
democratic movement. |
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7.9.1.9 |
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They
should not fail to utilize in full
every opportunity available in the
Constitution, laws and developmental
plans. |
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7.10 |
Role
of “Civil Society” in
respect of Dalits |
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7.10.1 |
The
role of civil society in respect of
Dalits has generally been negative,
with honourable exceptions and displays
lack of knowledge of the socio-historical
background of India. It is necessary
not only in the interests of Dalits
but also of their own interest and
more importantly in the interest of
the country that they make a changeover. |
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7.10.2 |
They
should give up denigration of Dalits
and their Rights. |
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7.10.3 |
It
will be in the overall interest of
the country and of themselves if they,
almost entirely representing the upper
castes, co operate with the Dalits
in their struggle against heavy odds
for their rights and try to participate
actively in mass actions and protests
of Dalits in support of their legitimate
Rights. This will help to lay the
foundation for joint action of all
sections to widen total opportunities
available so that their equitable
sharing among Dalits, other deprived
and the rest will give each larger
quantum of benefits of opportunities. |
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The
Goal is Dr. Babasaheb’s vision
of annihilation of caste, by eradicating,
through various Social Justice measures
including reservation, all differentials
of social, educational and economic
status and making opportunities really
and equally available to all irrespective
of birth, and making social origin
totally irrelevant to availability
of opportunity, so that caste really
becomes irrelevant and begins to wither
away. The destruction of caste in
this way will help to make India a
real nation in the full sense of the
term because, as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
pointed out on 25.11.1949, caste is
anti-national. This will help India
to become a complete democracy, harness
the full potential of all including
Dalits and other deprived categories
for the optimal development of the
country and its economy. |
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