FIVE Left organisations working among agricultural workers jointly organised the all India convention for dalit rights and against atrocities on dalits in Constitution Club Annexe, New Delhi on December 21, 2020. More than 250 delegates from states who participated in the convention, were from these organisations-All India Agricultural Workers Union, All India Agragami Krishi Shramik Union, Agricultural and Rural Labour Association, Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union, All India SamyuktKisan Sabha. The convention was inaugurated by Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, Bezwada Wilson. While inaugurating the convention he criticised BJP led central government for working against the Constitution of India. While denouncing statements of BJP MP- Pragya Thakur, he explained that Pragya cannot tell us our caste, religion and our identity. It is right of citizens which is given by our Constitution. If we have to empower the deprived sections of society including Scheduled Castes then our Constitutional needs must be implemented in full spirit.
The convention was presided jointly by B Venkat, general secretary of AIAWU, N N Ojha, former president of BKMU, Rameshwar Prasad- honorary president AIARLA, AsitGanguly, AISKS and Gaurav Kumar ofAIAKSU. A Vijayraghavan, president AIAWU delivered the keynote address to explain the objectives of the convention. He called upon the delegates to organise a consistent struggle against the policies of social discrimination and economic exploitation of BJP led central government which are making the life of deprived sections of society miserable.
Vikram Singh of AIAWU placed the draft resolution in the convention and it was endorsed by Radhika Menon of AIARLA. Dalits were subjected to both social exclusion and economic exploitation over the centuries. Historically along with the curse of untouchability, the dalits had no right to have any property. In one form or the other, this continues even today in most parts of the country. There is not much change in the situation of the dalits and in caste system after more than 70 years of independence. The forms of discrimination may have changed to some extent but the basic structure of land relations, overhauling of which would have given a blow to untouchability and the caste system has not changed. There is an over-representation of SC households (58.9 per cent) among agricultural and rural labourers. Landlessness and denial of access to resources by feudal forces have added to the economic miseries and social indignities suffered by the dalits. Land reforms and land rights must be implemented to break the cycle of feudal oppression. Under BJP rule there is an increase in the atrocities against dalits. According to the Crime in India 2019 Report, there is an increase of 7.3 per cent in such crimes. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 11,829 cases and 25.8 per cent of total cases in the country. Atrocities have seen a steady increase in Gujarat. While perpetrators of these crimes have taken advantage of administrative and government biases in favour of dominant castes, half the prisoners in India’s jails are dalits, adivasis and Muslims. The increase in atrocities against marginalised sections of society, gang rapes and mob lynching is integrally linked to the BJP project of marginalisation of dalits and oppressed sections under the crisis-ridden neoliberal order. The constitutional rights of the dalits are being violated. The casteist feudal forces have aligned with BJP as it has upheld caste laws as part of its Hindutva project. The leaders of RSS are demanding a review of the reservation policy from public platforms.
Denied of land rights and in the absence of land reforms, Dalits are forced to work as agricultural workers mostly where they face twin exploitation at the hand’s landlords. Their labour is exploited at will by the feudal lords and they also face numerous social oppression both at the workplace and at home. In this scenario it is very important for agricultural and rural labour organisations to mobilise against the Hindutva and Brahminical politics of BJP as well as against the neoliberal onslaught.
Nathu Prasad from Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch and Phul Chand Yadav from National Campaign Council fort Dalit Rights greeted the convention and called for more unity in struggle for dalit rights. National leaders like B Venkat, N N Ojha, Rameshwar Prasad, Amresh and Suneet Chopra addressed the convention. Apart from this Devi Kumar from Punjab, Dariyav Singh Kashyap from Haryana, Brij Lal Bharti from Uttar Pradesh, Gopal Ravidas from Bihar, MarotiKhandare from Maharashtra, Venkatrammulu from Telangana and Lal Singh Dhanaula from Punjab participated in the discussion.
On the basis of the issues raised in the resolution adopted, convention resolved to intensify the struggle on basis of following demand charter:
1. Measures be taken to stop atrocities against dalits. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act) be strengthened and its implementation be ensured.
2. Stringent action be taken against culprits booked in cases of attacks on dalits.
3. Anti-social vigilante gaurakshak groups must be banned.
4. Manual scavenging be completely eliminated and secure alternate jobs be provided to those forced into it.
5. Land be distributed to the landless with priority for dalit landless households.
6. Free education of equitable quality from pre-school to university level be provided to all.
7. Privatisation of education, health and PSU’s be stopped.
8. Enact reservation in the private sector and clearing of the backlog in recruitment under reserved category.
9. Incentives should be provided to promote inter-caste marriage. Inter-faith couples be protected and the one month notice in the Special Marriage Act be scrapped to ensure that couples marrying under it are not harassed.
10. The SC sub-plan be implemented in the central budget,
11. New labour codes, the new farm laws and Electricity Amendment Act, 2020 be immediately scrapped.
12. MNREGA be properly implemented.
13. Provide free vaccination of Corona to all.
On the basis of these demands, the convention gave the call to organise similar conventions to identify specific issues of dalits.
District level protest demonstrations are planned which would be culminated in state-level mobilisations during the budget sessions of the states’ demanding an increased share of the budget for Scheduled Castes.
