By Sannybhai and Antony Arulraj
Pune: The need to uphold constitutional values of justice and equality was stressed at a workshop on government schemes for depressed communities that began on November 23 in Pune, western India.
“The constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are non-negotiable and can never be compromised,” asserted Jesuit Father Edward Mudavassery, rector of De Nobili College while opening the three-day workshop.
Around 110 activists representing 100 grassroots organizations from 12 states are attending the workshop organized by the Lok Manch (Peoples’ Platform) in the campus of Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth at Ramwadi, a Pune suburb.
Fr Mudavassery commended the Lok Manch for conforming to Gandhi’s Talisman of restoring to the poorest and the weakest the control over their own life and destiny.
The inaugural session witnessed the release of a book, “Access to Entitlements of the Marginalised: Report Card,” and an eight-page folder “Development and Access to Entitlements of the Marginalised: National Report Card.”
The two books published by the Lok Manch were prepared by Jesuit educationist Father Joe Xavier and his confrere Joy Karayampuram. Published also on the occasion was “Nala Thitta Kaiyedu” (Handbook of Welfare Schemes) from the Tamil Nadu unit of the Lok Manch.
A panel of experts explained Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) meant for channelizing resources from the general sectors in the federal ministries and departments for the welfare of these two communities.
The opening day also dealt with the new scheme – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and how it could help improve millions of marginalized and oppressed people.
The activists decried diversion and underutilization of funds meant for the welfare of Dalit and tribal communities.
The workshop also asserted that poverty of the masses could be ended and Dalit and tribal communities could be freed from all types of exploitation and oppression through appropriate and people-monitored implementation of schemes such SCSP, TSP and WASH.
The panellists included P S Krishnan, a bureaucrat and proponent of SCSP; Jayant Deshpande, Maharashtra state consultant for WASH; Lalit Tirkey from West Bengal; and Selva from Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru.
In the next two days, the activists are expected to share their progress on the realization of their goal, objectives and indicators; identify the gaps and challenges as well as the best practices and lessons learnt. They will also chalk out plans for 2017.
Lok Manch is envisioned as a movement of dalits, adivasis, women, minorities, urban poor and other marginalized communities.
The workshop in Pune, hosted by Indian Social Institutes of Delhi and Bengaluru, Jesuits in Social Action (JESA) and Lok Manch Secretariat, is the second such program.
The first was held April 6-8 at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi and focused on the National Food Security Act. The engagements of Lok Manch with NFSA, SCSP, TSP, and WASH have also the purpose of nurturing leadership among the marginalized communities and of enabling them to take responsibility for their own life and destiny.