and positive action on rising cases of atrocities against us and the barriers we
face in our daily economic and social life. This can only be achieved through
sensitising offices of power and authority infusing in them the strong will to
make proactive and progressive decisions on behalf of Dalits and along with
ensuring bringing about awareness on our rights as decision makers.
II.
Political Will
The economic growth of the minorities is seen as an aggression or assertion by
the dominant in the societies. It has been observed in Gujarat, India there was
a pogrom against Muslim minority, which crippled their business and economy.
Similar trends have been observed in Orissa against Dalits and Tribal
communities who belonged to Christian minority. Safety of the minorities and
Dalits and Indegenous need to be ensured if at all economic inclusion is to be
fostered.
Political will in ensuring rights of minorities should be achieved through
enhancing legal standards and legislative mechanisms to prevent violence. In
the current situation in markets which tend to further exacerbate the structural
discrimination in society, States must bring in an Equal Opportunities Act to
protect our rights and introduce affirmative/reservation policies in the growing
private sector.
Productive resources for dalit and 'minority community must be distributed
whereby States should reserve land resources for Dalits / Adivasis. State
measures on distribution of land and other productive resources among poor
minority households must be implemented as a measure of inclusion.
III.
Budget allocations and real time expenditures.
I would like to bring out a land mark best practice brought in by the
Government of India as the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan which is a good example
of innovative budget allocations in favour of Dalits. This policy recognizes the
need for exclusive budgetary allocation for a minority community and quantifies
the proportion of allocation from the overall plan budget of the state in
proportion to the percentage of population of this community to the rest of
general population in the country. For example as dalit population is 16.4% of
the total population, 16.4% of total plan budget in the Union (fedral) budget of
India is allocated for specific development of Dalits. These allocations are tied