Dalit Mukti Morcha

Contact Address: MD-45, Veer Sawarkar Nagar, Hirapur, Tatibandh, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492010.
Contact phones: +91-98933-57911, 98271-57289. Contact E-mail: dalitstudycircle@yahoo.com

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PRESS RELEASE

Dalit Mukti Morcha Rally against Oppression, Exploitation and Globalisation
December 3, 2004
Raipur
Dalit Mukti Morcha (DMM) Chhattisgarh is organizing a mass rally culminating into a public meeting on the death anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on 6th of December 2004. For this thousands of people from across the state are converging in Raipur. The major objectives of this protest are to expose and resist the growing atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and Minorities along with new forms of oppression and exploitation.

It is an open truth that Dalits, one of the most oppressed and repressed strata anywhere in the history of world, are still reeling under the avaricious chains of casteism. In the Indian context social system based on caste has its deep felt impact not only on the socially but at large politically, economically, culturally, intellectually and psychologically. In world history India is the only nation with the longest history of oppression and suppressed on the basis of varna and caste. This deprives the Dalits and other marginalized communities their right to land, work, education, health facilities, rights over natural resources and so on.

Globalisation has already brought in far-reaching changes, throwing to the winds, the earlier pretensions and legitimacy, of the state and the political system that controls the state. In the Indian context too this policy of breaking the community has worked. Apart from operating this primary objective it has succeeded in weaning away the people from all sorts of resources. Employment ratio is on a decline. All PSUs are either closed down or handed over to the corporate sector. Privatisation has become the buzzword of globalisation. Market has become the ‘god’ of the ruling elite. The prophets of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation claims of creating new job opportunities, but what we have seen in the last one decade is entirely the opposite and a matter of deliberate concern. Clarion call of the capitalistic system has entangled Dalits and other hampered sections without much of options. When the Dalits demand for reservation in private sector they are rejects under the aegis of incompetent and unskilled. This again is another trap to reduce the space of Dalits. Hence the rich are becoming richer and poor are pushed beyond the margins.

All these trends have outgrown in Chhattisgarh. The incidences of Dhabra (Champa-Janjgir), Devbhog (Raipur), Chandarpur (Champa-Janjgir), Suhela (Raipur), Gumka (Durg), Bhilai (Durg), Baloda (Bilaspur), Pipariya (Kawardha), Manpur (Rajnandgoan), Takhatpur (Bilaspur), Ambikapur (Surguja), Bastar, etc. are living examples. Apart from this large area has been lent out the private sector for industrial development and investment. No appropriate measures have been taken to provide employment for the already marginalized strata in any way. Contrary to this these forces had taken their land and other resources away. This had resulted in mass scale migration of Dalits, Adivasis and other workers from Chhattisgarh to other parts of the country in search of employment. It is estimated that every year nearly 800,000 people are migrating out of which the maximum are Dalits and Adivasis, who live under dire plight and the life of servitude and bondage.

The protest march is to highlight and resist these trends as well as the oppressive policies of the state. It is the voice of those who are victimized by the forces of casteism, fascism, globalisation and so on. Many organizations and individual had extended their support and solidarity towards this protest. The major ones among them are Jan Mukti Morcha, Chhattisgarh Satnami Samaj, Samta Sainik Dal, Bamcef, All India Scheduled Caste Youth Forum, Dalit Study Circle, Chhattisgarh Yuvak Samaj, SIRSA, Chhattisgarh Mahila Jagriti Sanghatan (Bilaspur), Mukti Sanstha, Sahayatri, Dalit Sewa Samiti, Republican Sanghatan, and Chhattisgarh Mazdoor Kishan Sanghatan.


Goldy M. George
Dalit Mukti Morcha, Chhattisgarh