Aug 11, 2003
CURRENT SCENARIO, PROBLEMS AND PROGRAMMES FOR YOUTH
BELONGING TO WEAKER SECTIONS
- with Special Reference to Dalit Youth
By: N Manohara Prasad
WEAKER SECTIONS
Weaker Sections of the Society are –
1.
Backward Classes in the Country
2.
Socially and Educationally Backward
3.
Caste based, even amongst the Minority Religious Groups
4.
Economically Poor, being a passable phenomenon is not backward
PROBLEMS OF WEAKER SECTIONS
Problems of the Weaker Sections are that they –
1.
Suffer Discrimination
2.
Differential Indignities
3.
Economic Exploitation
4.
Face Social Ostracism
5.
Denied Human Dignities
6.
Deprived of self-respect
7.
Refused most Civil-Rights
8.
Can not get good Education
9.
Difficult to get any decent Job
10. Can not get recognition
for tough jobs
11. Can not get awards for
works done well
12. Can never get timely
Promotions, even if they get one
CURRENT SCENARIO
Nation and Society exist for People. It is not the other way. People make the Society, and constitute the
Nation. Therefore, the Problems of
People should be attended to and resolved.
In a Respectable Nation and
Civilised Society, there can not be any Weaker Sections. And none should be allowed to suffer
indignities, or die out of hunger and wants.
Therefore, development of all sections of society is essential. And We as a
Nation, made a good beginning. In spite
all problems, we had a good advantage. And
our start was better. Sadly today,
there appears to be a setback all around.
Forces of evil, forces of exploitation, forces of money, forces
operating on the sly, and the forces of deceit are up everywhere. This can not and should not continue. Force, violence, fraud, cheating and
exploitation can not solve anything.
They can only beget more force, violence, fraud, cheating and
exploitation. Or induce, more and more
terrible and motivated violent resistance, terrorism, bush-fights and
underground activities. Only Justice,
Peace and Love can get you dividends.
They help you move forward and progress. Go to Kohima, the words of the slain and dead young soldiers,
reminds you –
When You go Home, tell
others –
For your tomorrow, we
gave up our today.
That should ring in your ears always, make you think
and find a new meaning. We live today,
because of someone’s sacrifice yesterday.
We are comfortable, whatever little comfort that may be, is because
someone is suffering for us, or sacrificing many things for us elsewhere! Every one of us should always remember this,
and give something ourselves. And the best
can be done by the Youth! Let us not
repent in our old days, what we had failed to do in our Youth. Remember, everyone, however old he or she
is, is a youth today than what he or she would be tomorrow, or day-after, or
next year or any other date in future.
Our leaders, are all in
big rat race! They are exactly in a
race they had missed long long ago.
They want to get power, more and more power, make money more money. What for, we don’t know! Ask them, What for? They themselves won’t know! They can only give some answer, and
rationalise what they are doing, and why they are doing that. Their answers won’t be convincing, even to
themselves. But one thing is clear to
one and all. They are trying to gain
something in life, which they had failed to do in their youth. And in that process, like their yesterday,
they are failing even today. Yes, they
are failing! For, they, today, instead
of working for the overall good, and long-term success of the people and the
Nation, are all working for short-time goals and small-time gains! That is the problem, and that is the
tragedy! That is why the people,
particularly the poor, and specifically the Weaker Sections of the society are
still suffering, and most likely will continue to suffer further.
The Leaders of the
Weaker Sections, are doing things in no way better. Instead of being different, and working for the people, all the
people, the entire society, and the whole nation, they are going only in the
others ways. They are copying others,
their bad ways, bad deeds, and are going in the old paths, the same paths of
failures. Forget the good of all. They are not even working for their own
people, their own sections, and their own communities. They are working only for themselves, only
for the good of their families, welfare of their friends, and growth of those
who can finance and look after them, just for the time being or flatter them
and cheat them. That, as if they are
going to be always in power, and also live independently all alone with their
families friends and fair weather friends and supporters, distinctly away from
the rest of the society.
In a Democracy, we should find leaders of every region
and every community, in every party, every office, and in every field. But things are not turning out to be so. Every one goes, runs, and switches sides
where power, office and wealth are. And
the Power, not to serve or do good and help, but to exploit eat and make money. That is why many people, smaller groups,
marginalised sections are feeling frustrated, and highly disillusioned
everywhere. That is why National
Parties are failing, collapsing and breaking up. That is why Regional Parties had come up to power. And now, they are also failing. Today no one is working for the Weaker
Sections! No one is bothered about the
poor. People, officials, politicians,
leaders and almost everyone is making money in the name of the poor, helpless
and the Weaker Sections. That is why
people are loosing faith and hope. That
is not being cynical, neither negative, nor disillusioned. That is the truth, and that is the
reality. Therefore, our only hope is
not in others, but in ourselves. And
that is in the Youth, more in the Youth, better in the Youth, and in the Youth
of today, not yesterday nor of tomorrow.
POWER OF YOUTH
Any honest human must agree for the education,
employment, earning, survival, good, development and growth of all, around him
or her. That should be, for growth like him or her,
or better than him or her. If one is
suffering, or is in difficulties and problems, one must wish that none else
should suffer like him or her. At least
others, should be free from such problems and dilemmas. If one is very happy, comfortable and rich,
then one should, if magnanimous, wish that others should be at least happy and
comfortable a little, may be one tenth or one hundredth like him or her. That is being sensible. And more sensible will be – to work for the
good, education, enlightenment, welfare, growth and development of others, and
progress of all in the society. That is
how, every one of us can contribute to the pride and great status of the
Nation. That should be the drive
behind, or motive force of every Youth.
For, the Youngsters are a big
force in any family, every society, and all Nations. That is the Importance of being an Youth. For, Youth is Power. Youth is Hope! And Youth is Future!
STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT
Programmes and Actions for Weaker Sections must begin
from the weakest of the weak. At
the bottom or in the lowest end anywhere, invariably are the SCs and STs.
The hierarchy of Weaker Sections can generally be
arranged as below –
1.
SCs and STs
2.
SC&ST Converts, mostly to Christianity – the Christian Dalits
3.
SC&ST Converts to Islam – the Dalit Muslims
4.
SC&ST Converts to Buddhism – Neo-Buddhists
5.
SC&ST Converts to Sikhism – Sikh Dalits
6.
Most Backward Castes
7.
Other Backward Castes
8.
Women from the above groups
9.
Children, particularly girls from the above groups
10. Minorities in general
In India, Caste is the root cause of Backwardness. That could be clearly seen and easily
felt. For, Caste is intrinsic to Indian
Culture. It actually is the building
block of the Indian Society. Therefore,
it can not easily be dismantled. And,
it had silently entered and infected almost all the Religions in the
Country. What is worse and sad is the
fact that, many a time the educated and well-off SCs&STs and SC&ST
Converts to other Religions, practice more discriminations. This, to avoid their actual origins and hide
their real backgrounds. Instead of
providing leadership and being guides and inspirations to their less-fortunate
or developing youngsters from their own groups, they always deny their origins,
beginnings and group identity, even when identified. They systemically want to cut their roots, and ultimately end up
as rootless friendless and helpless individuals in the later stages of their
lives. They just remain always as uprooted.
Rarely do we see any
Dalits in some other Religions in the Country.
And today, we don’t easily find
any Dalit Jains. But the same was not
historically true. The famous Saint
Tamil Poet Thiruvalluvar, was said to be a Dalit and a Jain. But, that was more than a millennium ago,
when Jainism was an important part of the Tamil Society. Not far back, Kanchipuram was a big Jain
Centre, before they were chased out.
The Jains and their priests were cruelly executed. Later on, Buddhists moved forward to
establish a big centre of learning, almost at par with the ancient Nalanda
University. But that was destroyed, and
the monks killed by physically throwing them overboard in the Sea - Bay of
Bengal. The same was the fate of
Buddhist University at Amravati, near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, where the
famous Chinese Traveller Huien Tsuang studied Buddhism. The 20 Monasteries around it were totally
razed to the ground, and the Stupa, built during the great Andhra Dynasty of
Satavahanas was completely destroyed, and reduced almost to the ground
level. There is practically no SC or ST
Dalits, in closed Religions and Sects, like the Bahais, Zoroastrians or Parsis.
Dalits Defined
For political reasons,
some claim all the poor, women, working classes, and all Backward Classes
including Minorities, such as many Muslims, most Christians, the SCs&STs
are Dalits. But that is not really
true. Most People think that that, only
SCs are Dalits. Actually the
educated and enlightened SCs and STs claim, every conscious and awakened
SCs&STs are Dalits. That is why,
they widely use these days, the terms SC&ST Dalits and SC or ST Dalits.
Dalit is a not a name, but an identity, given to themselves by
the SC&ST Dalits, on their own volition.
Tired of being named by others, or derisively referred, or insultingly
identified, or humiliatingly called by different names at different times in
various regions at different occasions, the SCs&STs named themselves as
Dalits. Thus, they could dispense with
the condescendingly denigrating terms like harijans and girijans, or as the
adivasis and vanvasis, or being unapproachables, untouchables and still
remaining as unacceptables. It all started with the search for a new name and
respectable identity, that began in old Madras Presidency, the erstwhile Bombay
Presidency, and in the Chota-Nagpur Area.
In the 1960s and 70s, several restless and self-conscious
Scheduled Caste Groups, became very active.
Particularly those with Marxist-Leninist and Maoist left leanings, were
strangely influenced by Black Panther Movement, in the right-oriented
capitalistic United States. They soon organised themselves, outside the main
framework of national and state political parties, as Dalit Panthers. The present day SC&ST Dalit Movement, have found their own identity from then
onwards, both individually and separately in isolation of others, or
collectively.
There still is some resistance to the name Dalit,
amongst many literate SCs&STs in Govt Services, and holding big jobs. Opposition understandably comes from Bombay
and Maharashtra, who want to cling on to the legacy of Baba Saheb Dr BR
Ambedkar, as the original true or rightful inheritors. They say that they are more true followers
of Ambedkar, than all those who call themselves as Dalits or as Bahujans. In fact many hangers around BSP would also
truly not like to call themselves or identify as Dalits. They would insist on being called or named
as the Bahujans. That not in UP only,
but everywhere, including when the Dalits travel abroad, and settle down in
good well paid jobs there.
Some resistance to the name Dalit, also comes from a
few individuals in Tamil Nadu, because of the confusion caused by the language
question. And finally many in the Govts,
specifically refused to recognise any SC or ST, as being a Dalit. But then, it was left to Rajiv Gandhi, by
mistake or otherwise, may be by slip of tongue, to refer to SC&ST Dalits as
Dalits, in a big rally he addressed in Boat Club in New Delhi, sometime before
he became PM. From then on the Congress
people began to refer to the SCs&STs, as SC Dalits or ST Dalits, or simply
as Dalits. This practice then was
slowly picked up by others, and now as a matter of routine, many refer to
SCs&STs as SC&ST Dalits.
Weaker Sections are identified on the basis of their
Social and Educational Backwardness, and the consequent Problems they are
forced to face in the Indian Society.
Hence, we must try to understand the Backwardness and Problems of
SC&ST Dalits, at least in general and broadly.
PROBLEMS OF SC&ST DALITS
The SC&ST Dalits in the Country today, apart from the General Problems faced by all
the Weaker Sections, suffer from many specific and peculiar problems only
specific to them, and disadvantages arising from them. They are as follows –
1.
Isolation
i. Racial segregation and
resultant isolation
ii. Ethnic marginalisation
and associated isolation
iii. Social Isolation of the
SC Dalits
iv. Geographical isolation
of ST Dalits
v. Cultural isolation of
both SC&ST Dalits
2.
Leaderless
3.
Powerless
4.
Partyless
5.
Fundless
6.
Assetless
7.
Educationless
8.
Jobless
9.
Promotionless
10. Wageless
11. Friendless
12. Guideless
13. Helplessness
14. Directionless
15. Social Antagonism of
almost all others
PROGRAMMES FOR THE YOUTH OF WEAKER SECTIONS
All the Programmes
meant for the Youth in general, are ipso-facto applicable and available for the
Youth of the Weaker Sections. There are
a number of Programmes for the Youth.
Some are very special for the Weaker Sections, specially made. And some are meant for all Minorities. Some are exclusive to Muslims. Some may be for Buddhists only. And so on.
Some are particularly for OBCs, or MBCs. And some for SC&ST Dalits.
Rarely are there any for SC Dalits only. But there are schemes for Scavengers amongst the SC Dalits. In some States, the Scavengers are
classified as ST Dalits. And amongst
the Leather Workers of SC Dalits, few Special Programmes exist for the Flayers
amongst them. And there are many
exclusive Constitutional Provisions, and accordingly Special Schemes for ST
Dalits. Some of these have been
conceived and administered by –
1.
Govt of India
i. Department of Urban
Development
ii. Department of Rural
Development
iii. Department of Education
iv. Department of Science
and Technology
v. Department of Sports
vi. Department for Youth
Welfare
vii. Women and Child Welfare
viii.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
ix. Ministry of Tribal
Development
x. Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare
xi. Ministry of Science and
Technology
xii. Ministry of Tourism
2.
State and UT Govts, their Ministries, Departments and various offices
and autonomous bodies under them as in Govt of India
3.
National Organisations
4.
International Organisations like YMCA
5.
Commonwealth Programmes
6.
Programmes of Developed Nations for overseas Students and Youths
i. Organised by the
Cultural Centres
ii. Indian-Foreign People
Organisations
iii. Indian-Foreign
Friendship Societies
iv. Scholarship and
Sponsorship Schemes
7.
UN Programmes
8.
Bilateral Agreements between GOI and other Countries
NGOs’ Programmes
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************************************* N Manohara Prasad, Delhi, India ************************************* |