CHENNAI: Ruth Manorama, one of the three joint winners of this year's "Right Livelihood Award," presented annually in the Swedish Parliament, said her mission was to liberate Dalit women from discrimination and ensure social, economic and political equality for them.

Talking to newsmen here on Friday, Ms. Manorama said the award was given to her for working for Dalits' rights at the national and international levels.

Poverty eradication

Attributing the award to her efforts at uplift of Dalit women, Ms. Manorama said the urban and rural poverty were interlinked.

While there were many schemes for eradication of rural poverty, there was no major welfare scheme for urban poor, who were mostly living in slums.

It was the obligation of the State to look after the marginalised poor, she said.

Concerted attempts were being made to drive away slum people from the cities to the outskirts of the cities.

Various social service organisations with which she was associated had been fighting for providing houses for the poor where they had been living for decades.

She said the $90,000 she would get as her share of the award would be utilised for setting up a Dalit women's centre in Bangalore, where various training programmes would be imparted to slum women to make them self-supporting.

She said so far 10 persons from the country received the award, which was considered as an alternative to Nobel Prize.

The award presentation ceremony would be held in Swedish Parliament on December 8.

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