Date:27/11/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/11/27/stories/2003112703250300.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Political parties urged to announce agenda for Dalits

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL Nov. 26. The Dalit Samakhya has urged the political parties to announce their agenda for social, educational and economic uplift of Dalits in the district.

The Samakhya has planned district-level meeting at Adoni on December 10 to discuss the issue confronting the Scheduled Castes people in the district. In a statement on Wednesday, the district president of the Samakhya, Kommupalem Srinivasulu, said the district meet would be preceded by padayatras by the office-bearers in 354 villages. The programme would be taken up above political and sectarian considerations. Mr. Srinivasulu accused the authorities of failing to give protection to Dalits in the district, who constituted 5.18 lakhs population as per the 1991 census.

There was no reaction from the officials despite unending atrocities on Dalits.

Referring to the report of Justice Punnaiah Commission, he said untouchability was being practised in various forms in 500 villages in the district. Dalit women continued to slog in field as labourers for paltry wages across the district.

In Government offices, Dalit employees were subjected to humiliation and harassment. Landlords in villages treated Dalits with contempt while the latter accepted them as leaders.

Mr. Srinivasulu took exception to the demand for inclusion of washermen in the list of SCs and Valmikis in STs. He demanded the Government to take immediate measures to eliminate untouchability being practised in different forms in the State. He also wanted land given to Dalit families besides providing work to agriculture labourers during the lean season.

He said effective measures should be taken to eliminate child labour in the district and free education and accommodation provided to the rescued children.