Dalit unity just a slogan, says Prof Gopal Guru

Thrissur: More than for rhetoric, the political parties should address the real issues of dalits, well-know dalit thinker Prof. Gopal Guru has said. Delivering the Chinta Ravindran memorial lecture here at Sahithya Akademi Hall on Sunday Mr Gopal Guru said that the term ‘bhahujan’ meant for backward communities was not used in its real sense by the political parties. As the ‘bhajujan-dalit’ unity remains a political slogan, the dalits dalits were being discriminated against and exploited.

“Both the society and political parities need to ascertain the real issues of the dalits,” he noted. Speaking at the occasion, writer N.S. Madhavan said that the left parties have to address the issues of dalits more effectively. “The leftist need to introspect why activists like Rohith Vemula had to leave SFI and for another organization,” he added.

He also said that even though other communities got the benefit of it members working in Gulf countries, the dalits did not get such an opportunity to work aboard.     Journalist Sashi Kumar of Chinta Ravindran Foundation, writer Zacharia among others were also present. Writer, journalist, and film director Chinta Ravindran had passed away in 2011.