Public Meeting on Dalit Economic Rights , Maharashtra.

A public meeting on Dalit Economic Rights on   15th December , 2007  at  Dadar ( East) Maharashtra  was  yet another step from NCDHR to high light the grave issue of violation of economic rights of Dalits which is constitutionally granted.
Paul Divakar , National Convener (NCDHR) ,was the chief guest .He said  the amount taken  away from Dalits  is unacceptably high and  he traced back the roots  of all  it to the  casteism , untouchability and caste mindedness still  relevant in Indian  Society.
He   presented an alternative budget plan and deplored the political ignorance on the issue.
The emphasis of any financial plan for Dalits should be in sectors like education, Information Technology, economic development, youth development, political power etc. Under the present practice any allocation under SCSP is only notional.He also wondered how the allocations under Roads and Transport instead in Higher Education and Information Technology could help the Dalits in the altered times.

He called for a massive campaign on Dalit Economic Rights and pointed out that as per the rules the Maharashtra govt had to allocate 10.20 % of the total budget allocation against the present population of Dalits in the state, but the govt was not  imparting the rules.
Within the last 25 years the Union Budget had stolen 5 lakh crore rupees of Dalit money and in the last Union Budget alone  (2007-08) it was  an whopping 20280.25 crore.
He also alleged that  the saying that Maharshtra  as a model sate in  implementing SCSP   was only a fad . He also opined that Maharashtra , the land of Ambedkar  should take a lead in this struggle also.

Representatives of various political parties like BSP ,SP also participated in the meeting and extended their support to the cause.