By Abu Zafar, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 01 April 2014: With an aim to press political parties to announce measures for socio-economic uplift of Dalit and Adivasi communities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Hyderabad-based SC/ST Officers Forum and Centre for Dalit Studies (CDS) have jointly released ‘Dalit & Adivasi Agenda for 2014 Elections’.
The agenda is comprehensive in that it covers all issues concerning these backward communities. It talks about health, education, land rights, honest implementation of special laws related to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, reservation for SCs and STs in private sector jobs, etc.
Major Demands
n Proper implementation of SCSP/TSP (The Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan)
n Free education to Dalit and Adivasi communities from Kindergarten to post graduate levels
n Public Health Centres and free supply of essential medicines
n Free supply of agricultural tools for eligible SC and ST farmers
n New land reform policy and measures to implement Koneru Ranga Rao committee recommendations
n Houses for all houseless Dalit and Adivasi people within a deadline
n Special courts for speedy trials of cases of crimes against Dalit and Adivasi communities
n Government schemes for Dalit Christians as enjoyed by SC/ST communities
n Return of the cultivable land acquired in the name of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) back to SCs and STs
n Enactment of law to provide reservation to SCs and STs in private sector
n Rehabilitation of Dalit and Adivasi people who were displaced due to mining or irrigation projects
n Deployment of at least one SC and one ST officer in Chief Minister’s office
n Reservation for SCs/STs in Rajya Sabha and state Legislative Councils
n Safe drinking water to Dalit and Adivasi colonies
The Dalit and Adivasi bodies who have prepared the agenda are planning to meet all political parties with their demands and on the basis of their response they will decide voting strategy.
“CDS will lead a delegation to the offices of the respective political parties and submit the memorandum to their leaders,” Anjaneyulu, an official at Centre for Dalit Studies told India Tomorrow adding that initial response from some parties is positive.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana collectively have seven Lok Sabha seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and three seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
As per government data, the sitting Members of Lok Sabha (in SC constituencies) could not spend around Rs 25 crores of their annual fund (MPLAD) meant for constituencies. Similarly Rs 12 crores remained unspent in ST constituencies in these two states.
Anjaneyulu says CDS has been trying to sensitize MPs about the issue. It has sought help from media and civil society organizations also in putting pressure on the MPs to spend money in their constituencies.
Anjaneyulu alleges that these MPs have not spent all money because they are “Insensitive to the needs and aspirations of SCs, STs and other marginalized communities.”
The total population of united Andhra Pradesh is 8,45,80,777, some 16.2% of which (that is 1,38,78,078) are SCs and 6.99% (59,18,073) are STs. These two states have 8.32% of the national SC population and 7.0% of national ST population.
CDS has demanded that “rules and regulations should be framed with regard to implementation of welfare schemes for SCs and STs. Any negligence on the part of the MPs should be treated as a crime.”
