Continue to use the word Dalit: Aravind Malagatti

Karnataka Sahitya Academy president Aravind Malagatti on Wednesday sensed the agenda to weaken Dalit organisations in the efforts to remove the word Dalit from government documents and communication.

He was speaking at a two-day workshop on "Analysis of Ambedkar's Thoughts' organised by Gulbarga University in Kalaburagi.

He said: "The Bombay high court has asked the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consider issuing a direction to media to stop using the word ‘Dalit’ following a circular advising government officials against using the word. A petitioner had moved the Nagpur bench of the high court seeking removal of the word Dalit from all government documents and communication. There is an agenda that Dalit organisations can be weakened by removing the word Dalit from government documents and communication."

According to him, the word Dalit denoted organising strength.

"The term brings electrifying energy and hence the word Dalit should be used," he said.

He welcomed the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directions to use the full name of Ambedkar.

"Adityanath's father's name is Ramji. Actually, he wants people to know his (Adityanath) father's name and hence has directed to use the full name of Ambedkar," he charged.

He also took exceptions regarding restricting discussions only to Ambedkar's name.

"There are discussions about thoughts of Rama and Krishna, but not about their names. In case of Ambedkar, there are discussions only about his name, but not about his thoughts," he said.