Mangalore: Dalit unions come together in a show of unity

Mangalore, Mar 2: Dalit organisations in Dakshina Kannada district came together with their new found unity in a district-level convention organised by DK Dalit Associations' Union at SDM Law College auditorium here on Sunday.

Speaking after inaugurating the convention, Ratnakar Bannadi, principal of Ganapathi PU College, Mangalore said that moving forward in unity was the way to remove the barriers of casteism, discrimination and untouchability and bring in social reformation to eradicate the caste system.

Dalits are still subjected to exploitation by people from upper castes and do not have rightful admittance to education, employment and other spheres of life. The community needs to be empowered with power of knowledge to struggle against injustice, and education is necessary to achieve this, he said.

Stating that the posts that were reserved for Dalits in courts, armed forces and administrative departments remained vacant due to inequality in the society, he said that the people belonging to the lower classes should make continuous attempts for their upliftment.

He also emphasised the need for awareness of morality and human relationships for one to become truly educated. “We also need self-esteem in order to overcome our struggles and empower ourselves,” he said.

Dalit leader Jayan Malpe said that the lower classes were in an illusion of progress, but the problems faced by Dalits continued to grow. He said that although people from the Dalit community wanted justice and equality among all classes of the society, they should collectively awaken themselves in order to not regress in their struggle for justice.

In his inaugural address, Keshav Puttur said that all Dalit organisations had come together in a show of unity, which would help the community go a long way towards their upliftment.

Ashok Konchady, district convenor of the union, presided over the day-long convention.

Mallikarjuna Kodikal, treasurer of the union, welcomed the gathering. Dalit representatives V T Rajashekhar, M P Umeshchandra, Chandrakumar, Nirmal Kumar, Girish Kumar and others were present.