DALIT Shoshan Mukti Manch, Punjab organised a convention at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall in Jalandhar on May 15. A presidium consisting of Ram Singh Noorpuri,  Gurmesh Singh, Sunita Noopuri, Satpal Banur, Hari Ram Muktsar and Sher Singh Farwahi conducted the proceedings.

V Srinivas Rao, central secretariat member of the CPI(M) while addressing the convention lamented that the condition of dalits continues to be miserable even after 68 years of independence. The central government has rather curtailed the facilities being given to the dalits in the recent times.  He further stated that after the takeover by Modi  led NDA government at the centre, the atrocities on the dalits have increased.  He said with anguish that dalits are being killed, dalit women are being raped and killed, cut has been imposed on the amount of scholarships given to dalit students and they are being deprived of reservation in jobs by privatising government jobs. Srinivas Rao criticised the Hindutva forces for its inhuman  behaviour by continuing untouchability and caste based system .

Charan Singh Virdi, secretary, Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) while addressing the convention demanded that a special session of parliament should be convened to discuss issues of dalits and Scheduled Tribes  and a law should be framed to give constitutional status to SC /ST sub-plans.  He further demanded that there should be reservation in private sector, special drive be undertaken  to fill backlog SC/ST posts, five marla plots be given to dalit families and loans be given as grants to construct houses.

Ram Singh Noorpuri and Gurmesh Singh seconded the demands raised by Virdi and the convention passed a resolution in this regard.  Through another resolution, the convention decided to participate in the September 2, 2016 general strike and to organise a school of  Dalits Shoshan Mukti  Manch workers  of northern states at Chandigarh in July 2016