DSS flays govt move on Kumki rights

The Udupi unit of Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samiti has strongly condemned the decision of the State government to assure Kumki rights to nearly four lakh farmers in the State.

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samiti Member Sunder Master said the government decision will only help land mafia gang and land lords. The government assuring Kumki rights to farmers will in no way benefit the poor and the landless. Dalita Sangharsha Samiti has decided to go for injunction to the High Court against the government decision.

“We are planning to bring stay order to the government’s decision. Governor should not approve the Bill over Kumki rights,” he said. There are no leaders who fight for the poor and the needy. There is a need for leaders who can be the voice for poor people,” Sunder said.

He said the Samiti urges the government not to offer land to the people who already have enough land. The farmers who have nearly five acres of land should not be given additional land by offering Kumki rights. Instead, the government should distribute the land for landless and the needy.

Most of the farmers who are listed out are not marginal farmers. It’s totally injustice done to the poor people. The government had assured that all issues concerning the Dalits will be sorted out following Belgaum session. However, the government has not taken any measures and has failed to keep up the pledges, he added.

The other demands include the government should form special unit programme for Dalits on the lines of the programmes conceptualised by the Andhra Pradesh government. The law introduced to take action against the people who have taken false caste certificates should be immediately introduced. The summer vacation in schools should be announced only after April 14 following the celebrations of B R Ambedkar birthday.

The statue of Ambedkar before Vidhana Soudha should not be shifted. The funds should be released for the welfare programmes according to the population of Dalits in 2013-14 fiscal budget.

The outsourcing system should be cancelled and the backlog jobs should be filled. There are nearly one lakh employments in government sector, hence, government should fill the vacancies and eradicate the unemployment problem. The daily laborers in government sector should be made permanent, he stressed.