-The Hindu
All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Organisations will float a confederation of Dalit entrepreneurs for strengthening economic power of Dalits, according to Udit Raj, national chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations.
Inaugurating the office of Karnataka unit of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations at Hosabettu here on Sunday, Mr. Raj said the objective of launching the Confederation of Dalit Entrepreneurs (CDE) was to impart business culture to Dalits.
He said that Dalits had obtained political representation to some extent but not economic power. The CDE would organise training sessions for Dalits to develop skills to come up in business activities. “Without capturing economic power now it is not possible to get freedom from Brahmanical social system,” he said.
Mr. Raj said that ever since the participation of Dalits and other backward classes people increased in political sector, a clandestine design had been hatched to defame their political power. Dalits needed economic power to remain strong in society.
He said that N.R. Narayana Murthy (Infosys founder) came up in life on the basis of knowledge he had. He did not have capital.
The CDE will promote training activities for Dalits to emerge economically strong on the basis of knowledge and skills.
QUOTA IN PRIVATE SECTOR
Mr. Raj said the confederation was demanding reservation for Dalits in private sector.
With the government downsizing its departments, the reservation for Dalits in government sector was coming down.
He said that the example of Heavy Engineering Corporation, a public sector undertaking in Ranchi, where the staff strength had been reduced from 25,000 to 2,500 employees, was shocking. Thus reservation in government sector, which was the only hope for Dalits, was getting diluted day by day.
On the other hand, the Government was outsourcing its work. Wealthy and upper caste people were enjoying the benefits of outsourcing. This development was again making Dalits slaves, he said.
Mr. Raj said the confederation was opening its State unit in Mangalore hoping that it would serve effectively.