JOIN USMisusing reservation, netas too do it often: MLA
He was speaking at one-day workshop on ‘Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision on social exclusion and social inclusion’ organised jointly by the Centre of Studies for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy and Dr B R Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre, in the city.
Referring to a recent example of the elections held to the post of Zilla Panchayat president, the legislator said that the incumbent Suneetha Veerappagowda had previously served as an MLA, besides being well settled with a doctor husband and also owning sufficient assets for a living.
The MLA meant that ‘technically she should not be contesting under the reservation tag fixed for the post’. So also B K Prakash, who had successfully contested mayoral polls previously.
Assassination
Recalling the massacre of sikhs following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her sikh bodyguards, the MLA said he was a witness to the merciless killing of those people.
Similarly, Godhra riot that led to a pogrom in Gujarat, was nothing but the provocation of religious fundamentalists.
Elaborating on the topic of the workshop, the MLA said that SC, STs are socially excluded from the centuries and it’s not new in the current society. What’s disturbing is, even in the era of globalisation, people belonging to particular caste and tribe are not treated as equals. Though educated, we (SC, STs) are yet to be considered as learned denizens.
Challenging task
Moreover, though the Constitution of India says that practicing untouchability is an offense, it’s still a challenging task to eradicate the social malady. Martin Luther King Jr, who fought against apartheid in African countries should be an inspiration to the downtrodden here, the MLA suggested.
In her presidential address, Syndicate Member of University of Mysore, Prof Sumitra Bai delved on exploitation that was happening within the oppressed classes.
Disparity
She said that, in among SCs alone there are subsects who are averse to each other, leave alone upper castes.
Worse is, disparity has engulfed other professions too, where one cannot digest the success of others, and will be indulge in denting the prospects. Sumitra Bai cited the examples of jews in the USA, ‘etta’ in Japan the untouchables of the foreign nations, whose situation is no different than India. She attributed all the negative developments to improper socialisation.
Dr B R Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre Director Dr J Somashekar and Centre for Studies of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Prof Ramesh were present.