Pinarayi Vijayan attacks Modi government for anti-dalit politics

Madurai: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday charged the Modi government backed by RSS with campaigning against reservations and promoting privatisation in the country besides advocating casteism. Speaking at a public meeting at the concluding session of 2th national conference of Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch here on Monday evening, Vijayan said that progressive forces should continue their fight to safeguard the reservation policy in the government sector and also to implement it in private sectors as it is highly essential for social justice.

Recalling the work of social reformer Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy in the areas of eradication of caste system, untouchability and women empowerment, he said that his government in Kerala has achieved inducting backward castes and Dalits as temple priest. "This scheme is the realisation of Periyar dreams," said Vijayan. Coming down heavily on Central government for its anti-Dalit policies, Vijayan narrated various atrocities reported against the country ever since BJP assumed power in the centre. "The economic situation and discrimination against Dalits has reached to such an extent, that a student from Banaras Hindu University had to sell his kidney to meet the economic needs. Even then dominate castes refused to accept his kidney because he is a Dalit," he claimed.

The Central government adoption of new economic policy has affected the common people more particularly Dalits in all fronts including education, agricultural, employment opportunity and women empowerment. While most of the Dalits depending on agriculture have become landless labourers, nearly 18 per cent of Dalits between 15 and 51 age groups are jobless, he said. In social sector, 41 per cent of Dalit houses have no electricity; 66 per cent deprived of toilet facilities and 35 per cent without drinking water facilities in the country, he pointed out. Ironically, the BJP government didn't allocate fund for the welfare of Dalits in the last year budget and also it failed to implement sub-plan for their welfare which is mandatory by-law, said Vijayan.

On the other hand, for every 18 minute a Dalit is facing atrocities; three Dalit women are sexually abused and two were murdered every day in the country, said the CM. As the Hindutva forces have been promoting caste system in the country, the left and progressive forces should fight against all form caste atrocities and to eradicate caste system for the liberation of Dalits, he added.