Scheduled Caste Welfare Association highlights demands

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 24: All J&K Scheduled Caste Welfare Association, NGO, has highlighted various demands and problems confronting the community and urged the Government to take corrective measures at an earliest.
The association, a NGO formed in 1987 has taken up an initiative to be an inter-force between people and the Government providing grievances redressal and to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions and the laws for SC/STs.
Addressing a press conference, Association chairman, B R Kundal, said that in the State generally atrocities surface not on age-old caste prejudices but due to economic disparities, social backwardness and lack of education. The remedy was provided by Baba Sahib Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constitution but its implementation was seen nowhere in this State.
Mr Kundal said job reservation that “ in order to accomplish the benefit granted throughout India on 14th October 1947 late Bhagat Amar Nath the then president Depressed Classes League sacrificed his life and attained martyrdom while sitting on hunger strike unto death in front of Civil Secretariat, Jammu in 1970. Then 8% reservation was granted and Reservation Act passed after 60 years during the year 2004. But the reserved vacancies are clandestinely being de-reserved since then for which no remedy is on the anvil in the near future.
He said the non-formulation of special component plan for SCs was another story of misuse, misappropriation and diversion of billions of rupees since 6th five year plan to the end of 11th five year plan.
On illegal ejectment of allottees and tenants, Mr Kundal said the tenancy and allotted lands are clandestinely, under one pretext or the other, being reclaimed and resumed in which nexus of revenue, custodian, police, gang of land grabbers and property dealers could not be ruled out.
J&K Scheduled Caste Welfare Association expressed its complete solidarity and full agreement with National Dalit Movement of India and resolved to fight for the rights under the constitutional mandate in future.