Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

Dalit Affairs for upliftment of dalits are historic initiatives. Recommendations
of these committees have far reaching significance with the potential to transform
the lives of these sections of our society.
The Empowered Committee on Dalit Affairs with which I have been
closely associated has recommended allotment of agricultural land and houses
on priority basis to SC families, provisioning of basic amenities in villages
and habitations having significant population of SCs, increased budget for
raising their education levels including more schools and hostels, provisioning
of annual budget in the Central Government departments in proportion to
the SC population and making the budget allocation non lapsable and non
divertible. Similarly, the emphasis on modern education for minorities and
providing lakhs of scholoarship for bright young minority students gives them a
new hope and the confidence that the State is taking care of their needs and
we as a nation are committed to take along all sections of society on the path
to peace, progress and prosperity. All these initiatives of the Government,
undoubtedly and unequivocally, strengthen the spirit of national integration.
Speedy action on the recommendations of the reports of Committee on Dalit
Affairs and the Sachar Committee would further deepen our commitment to
these sections and bind them together with the shared destiny of this nation.
While reflecting on all the achievements of the past sixty years and
particularly the achievements of this Government, we have to introspect and
ask ourselves : Have we done enough for the poor and the downtrodden, for
the deprived and the dis-advantaged ? Have we achieved what we set out to
achieve?. The answer, unfortunately, is no.
Even after 60 years of independence, we are living in a country where a crime
is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes; where every day 3 dalit women
are raped, 2 dalits are murdered; where, in 33% of villages public health
workers refuse to vist dalit homes; where, in 27.6% of villages, dalits are
prevented from entering a police station; where in 23.5% of villages dalits did
not receive mail in their homes; where dalits were denied access to water
sources in 48.4% of villages because of segregation and untouchability practices.
This meeting of the NIC has been called at a time when the country is
facing some grave challenges. After relative calm in the communal situation in
the country since the UPA Government came to power, there has been a
sudden flare up in various parts of the country, particularly Karnataka and
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