 Ahmedabad: Martyrs' Day is here. Sixty-one years after his death, one of the issues closest to Mahatma Gandhi's heart, untouchability remains unresolved even in his home state. In fact, Dalits are forced to be martyrs in various ways.
"While Gandhi gave Dalits the sobriquet of Harijan' or people of God, this has improved their living conditions only marginally over the years. His dream of Antyodaya' or rising of the lowest in the caste hierarchy remains unfulfilled," says Dr Varsha Ganguly, director of Behavioural Science Centre (BSC), an NGO which works on issues of marginalised sections of society.
Four issues continue to plague Dalits in Gujarat, who make up 7.5 per cent of the population, which amount to human rights violations. A dharna is being organised at Sabarmati Ashram on 3 February 2009 by the Gujarat State Gram Panchayat Social Justice Committee Manch on two of these - regularising cemetery grounds for marginalised communities and demanding withdrawal of the policy to entrust responsibility of discarding dead animals in villages to Dalits.
An ongoing study by BSC mapping labour patterns in south Gujarat, Ahmedabad city and Sabarkantha and Banaskantha, has revealed the pathetic living conditions of migrant labour, 70 per cent of which consists of Dalits and tribals. Contractors pay them in advance for the season. As a result, labour is bonded with no negotiating power. They are paid less than minimum wages and have to work as long as asked.
The study reveals there are around 50,000 labourers in salt industry, 40,000 in Bt cotton farms, one lakh in sugarcane plantations in south Gujarat and at least 40,000 in construction sector in Ahmedabad who face these conditions.
According to the Panchayati Raj Act in the state, it is Dalits who have to handle dead animals. BSC is agitating for the removal of this clause from the Act. "This is a historical blunder made by the state perpetrating the caste system. Since Dalits were doing this job, which hurts their dignity, it was legitimised," says Dr Ganguly.
As per state government policy, Dalits should be given 10 per cent posts as mid-day meal sanchalaks (organisers). "Ironically, these sanchalaks have to hire non-Dalit cooks, as if Dalits do the cooking, children belonging to other communities will not eat the food," says Dr Ganguly.
Although Dalits are Hindus, they bury their dead. This is because they are not allowed to enter Hindu crematoriums. Out of 600 villages in nine districts of the state, only 58 have separate graveyards for Dalits. As they are not given land, they bury their dead anywhere and are not able to accord respect to them.
(Source: The Times of India, 30 January 2009) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Dalits_forced_into_martyrdom_/articleshow/4049167.cms |
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