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'T.N. ordinance anti-Dalit'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI OCT. 15. Dalit leader Udit Raj today demanded the withdrawal of the ordinance passed by the Tamil Nadu Government banning forceful conversions saying it was anti-Dalit.

In a joint statement with leaders of the All-India United Muslim Morcha, Mr. Raj said the purpose behind the ordinance was to divert the attention of the Dalits, the minorities and the backwards from the basic issues. It was also meant to give fillip to religious sentiments and push the forces of social justice to the background.

In contrast, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati's order extended Scheduled Caste facilities to the Dalits even after conversion to any religion. The Scheduled Caste status, which was given to Dalits of every religion till about half a century ago, was later restricted to those who professed Hinduism. "Mayawati's decision is courageous as it is an effort to erase the religious ban of 1950,'' he said, urging other States to emulate Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind today concluded its fortnight-long protest demanding a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president, Maulana Asad Madani, along with other leaders, met the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Vijay Goel, and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

The organisation appealed to the Congress to create a conducive atmosphere for the minorities in the States ruled by it. Only then would the minorities align with the party at the national level. Contending that a lot remains to be done in the Congress-ruled States, it said the instant penalisation of officials failing to control riots must be ensured and a law for compensation of riot victims enacted. Little was done on these lines after the Malegaon riots in Maharashtra, he said.

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