Date:15/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/15/stories/2007081560830400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

One fight for rights; another for a policy

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: The 60th Independence Day celebration had its effect on Tuesday with protests tinged with introspection. While a Dalit organisation said nothing has been done for the welfare of Dalits since Independence, a Kannada organisation pressed for a national policy to prevent migration. Both the protests were held near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Mahatma Gandhi Road. The Karnataka Dalit Sangarsha Samithi (KDSS) charged successive governments with not working to bridge the inequality between the Dalits and other communities. Sixty years since Independence, Dalits continue to be in a dismal state in several fields, including education and employment. Neglected, they were being forced to fight for their rights, the KDSS members said.

State KDSS Convener Lakshmi Narayana Nagawara said the condition of Dalit hostels was poor and the State Government was not giving enough funds for their maintenance. Earlier, Kannada Anustana Mandali members expressed the need for a national policy on migration in order to protect the rights of native residents.

The Mandali members said large numbers of people from other States were coming to Karnataka in search of employment. Such people were being given financial assistance and allowed to settle in the State, affecting the prospects of Kannadigas who have been staying here for a long time.

The Mandali said the national policy should be framed to provide preference for native residents in all the fields and increase the value of language-based classification of States.