dalith bahujan agraha pradarsana

Dalits demand share in Land and Budget: Dalit Bahujan Front
Report of Chalo Assembly organized by DBF, A.P. on 13-03-2007


Dalit Bahujan Front (DBF) has demanded the Andhra Pradesh State Government to give the legitimate share of A.P. Dalits in land and budget. To pressurize the A.P. Government DBF has organised a massive rally in the state capital on 13-03-2007. People allover the state reached state capital on 13th morning itself. They came by every means of transport i.e. by trains, buses, cars and hired Lorrie’s/ vehicles. The rally started at 12 noon from Ambedkar Bhavan.
Noted civil rights leader, dalit scholar and president of Republican Party of India(RPI) Mr. Bojja Tarakam waved the DBF Flag and started off the “Anger and Anguish Rally” of Dalit Bahujans.Addressing the rally he gave call to all Dalitbahujans to unite and enter into the state assembly on their own to solve their socio-economic problems. He reminded the people about the famous saying of Babasaheb Dr.B.R.Ambedkar that political power is the master key to resolve all problems of Dalitbahujans. Thousands of Dalits from allover the state took a large procession with their demands raising slogans against the discriminative policies of the congress government against dalits. The participants with the blue flags in their hands and with drum beatings marched under the hot sun and culminated into a large public meeting at Indira Park.

Meanwhile in the afternoon a 5 member delegation team led by the DBF state president Mr. Korivi Vinaya Kumar met Mr. Y.S. Rajasekara Reddy, the Chief Minister (CM) of A.P. in the State Legislative Assembly in his chamber and submitted the memorandum on behalf of dalitbahujans. Dr. G. Vijaya Rama Rao, Floor leader of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) accompanied the team. The delegation explained the CM that for the last 2 months DBF has organized Dalit Durbars nearly in 70 Assembly Constituencies and collected thousands of memorandums from poor / needy Dalitbahujans and categorized them in to 5 major areas of concern. Land being the most important element for the comprehensive development of Dalits, should be distributed to all landless poor people i.e. 5 acres to each family in the state. At present there are 1.20 crore acres of land in the possession of the government readily for distribution, the delegation reminded the CM. It also requested the CM to constitute an independent LAND COMMISSION to look into the matters of land Re- Survey of total land and to distribute. The delegation urged him to extend the time limit of NABARD’s RIDF-9 funding upto 2008, March for the development of assigned lands. It also requested the CM to allocate 30% of the total ayicut (irrigated) land which would come out of 1 crore acres of irrigated land after the implementation of the prestigious Rs.100000 Crore jalayagnam project by the congress government. The second demand is about budgetary share of Dalits and Adivasis according to the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) and the government should allocate 22.8% share in State plan budget and according to these plans the dalits should get Rs.5022 crores and Rs.2046 crores to the adivasis respectively for the financial year 2007-08 and should constitute separate nodal agencies to channel these funds, the delegation requested the CM. It demanded the government to reconstitute the A.P.State S.C., S.T. Commission and to empower it with judicial powers and also to take necessary steps to prepare chargesheets in 25 thousand pending SC, ST atrocity cases. It requested the CM to take necessary steps to protect the interests of SC,ST,BC students residing in 4765 social welfare hostels in the state and to immediately release Rs.274 crore pending scholarships to the dalitbahujan students. The delegation also urged the CM to issue orders to all state authorities to organize meetings every week and to observe “Civil Rights Day” on 30th of every month in all villages to eradicate untouchability, seperate glass system, forced and bonded labour, Jogini/pothuraju (Hindu religious prostitution systems), Beliefs in Banamati (witchcraft), manual scavenging and to educate the villagers about the provisions of PCR Act, SC, ST (POA) Act according to the G.O.M.S. (S.W.) Nos. 105, 128, 129 which were issued in earlier political regime. The fifth demand consists of filling the 50,000 government backlog posts of SCs and STs which were vacant; the DBF delegation explained the CM. It also demanded the government to provide monthly allowance of Rs.1000 to the unemployed youth, old age people, widows, physically challenged persons / separate finance corporations to occupational communities, to implement reservations in promotions, a resolution in the A.P.Legislative Assembly on Reservations in private sector and to amend the A.P.R.E.G.S (Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) to provide 100 work days in a year to each and every labour including the poor residing in town/municipal /all mandal areas in the state. The CM patiently heard the demands and assured the DBF team that his government will fulfill all the demands.

The public meeting started at 1’O clock and Mr. K. Vinaya Kumar presided over the meeting and invited the speakers onto the Dias. Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS) M.L.A.s Mr. T.Harish Rao, Dr.Laxma Reddy, Padma Devendar, CPI(M) State secretary Mr.B.V.Raghavulu, CPI State secretary Dr.K.Narayana, Kula Vivaksha Porata Samithi(KVPS) state secretary Mr. John Wesley, Centre for Dalit Studies (CDS) coordinator Mr.Mallepalli Laxmaiah, Dalit Bahujana Shramika Union(DBSU) state general secretary Mr.G.Sudhakar, Dalit Bahujana Mahila Samakhya(DBMS) state convenor Ms. Chinta Pramila, Jogini Vyavastha Vyatireka Porata Sanghatana (JVVPS) convenor Ms. Grace Nirmala, Dalit Stree Shakthi(DSS) convenor Gaddam Jhansi, Manjira Dalit Seva Samithi convenor Mr.P.Shankar, Ambedkar Vidyardhi Samakhya president Bandi Bhikshapathi, Rayalaseema Dalit Vedika convenor Reddanna, Dalit Bahujan Employees Front convenor Jeldi Ismael Babu, DBF State Committee leaders Alladi Devakumar, Melam Bhagya Rao, Perumaallu Devudu, K.Kusuma Kumari were invited onto the Dias.

Mr.Vinaya Kumar explained the gathering masses about the essence of the memorandum and announced that DBF will conduct a campaign for the next two years and will make these demands an Election agenda in 2009 State Assembly elections. The speakers stressed the need for the unity of SC,ST,BC,Minorities (Dalit Bahujans) and advised them to wage unified political struggles to achieve dalit bahuajan demands. They critisised the attitude of government towards the Dalits. Troops of Dalit Bahujana Kala Mandali performed cultural action. The meeting concluded at 4 P.M. Nearly 5,000 people of SC,ST,BC,Minorities allover the state attended the rally, public meeting and made it a grand success. The meeting drew the attention of both electronic / print media and the media widely publicized the entire event. The media and widely published the whole event. Food and water was served to the 5,000 people in the afternoon and they were also provided with dinner while returning to their homes.

Report by
State Secretariat
Dalit Bahujan Front

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