http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/148241/1/1893
Medha Patkar releases report on Dalits and governance On the occasion of 116th birth anniversary of the great leader and visionary of India Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar who fought for the rights of the Dalits, a review report on Dalits & The NCMP -published by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan - was released by Medha Patkar at Parliament Street, New Delhi today. The report titled 'Fulfilling The Promise To End Social Exclusion – A Review of the Dalit Agenda in the National Common Minimum Programme' was presented by Paul Divakar, Convenor of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights at the celebrations marking the Birth Anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar organized by NCDHR and Action 2007. This report draws attention to the status of the Dalit agenda in the National Common Minimum Programme, with a focus on key issues of livelihood, education and budgetary resources. The report clearly points out that 'Promises Are Not Enough' and there is a need for emphatic and decisive action in favour of the Dalits if the United Progressive Alliance is to fulfill the mandate of the marginalized people who brought them into power at the Centre in 2004. Drawing references to the report, Paul Divakar pointed out that although the UPA government has been brought into power by the votes of the Dalits and marginalized, the promises of land distribution, employment through NREGA, reservations in the private sector, universal access education and health are still to be fulfilled. He cautioned that while over Rs. 51,000 crores are due to the Dalits through the Special Component Plan, only Rs. 13,000 crores has been expended, resulting in a loss of over Rs. 37,000 crores for the development and empowerment of the Dalit communities. He urged Dalit groups and rights organizations across the country to unite and create a groundswell of protest to stake their claim on the resources that are due to them. Medha Patkar called attention to the consistent discrimination against the poor and marginalized by governments as evident from Narmada to Nandigram. She stated that a government that cannot provide protection to the Dalits and marginalized against the violence that we have witnessed in Khairlanji and Nandigram has no legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Quoting from a Marathi 'geet', she reminded the crowds that had gathered at Parliament Street, that even today it is in the people - who struggle for a drop of water or to retain their foothold on their land and yet have the courage to fight the battle of social justice - that we continue to see 'Bhim'. The review report on Dalits & the NCMP contains opening comments by Ashok Bharati (National Conference Of Dalit Organizations) & Paul Divakar(National Campaign For Dalit Human Rights) on the key challenges that need to be addressed by the National Common Minimum Programme. This assessment is taken forward by further evaluations of the critical issues. Anindo Banerjee (Praxis) & Ashok Bharati jointly review the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act from the Dalit perspective. The goal of universal education and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is reviewed by Annie Namala (IIDS) and an analysis of budgetary resources and the Special Component Plan has been contributed by the Centre for Budget & Governance Accountability. Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Keep Your Promise campaign) represents the effort of over 900 organizations, active in 15 states of India, to hold the government accountable to its promise to End Poverty & Social. The first public action organized by the Abhiyan immediately after its formation was the Dalit Dignity Rally that was held on 5 December 2004. Since then, the Abhiyan has focused on integrating the concerns and perspective of Dalits in all its initiatives, and has consistently emphasized the need to make their concerns central to the strategies and outcomes of regional and global efforts to address poverty and governance accountability. This publication is thereby to serve as a reminder to government and civil society that we have a historical duty to fulfill the agenda for social justice that he has set for the Dalit peoples, the Indian nation and for humankind. This report is available in English & Hindi. For printed copies, please contact the National Secretariat, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan. The electronic copy of the same will also be available on our wesbite: www.wadanatodo.net For further details contact: Lysa John (9818019763) / Paul Divakar (9910046813) -- Subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a BLANK email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
