Unite to establish rights
HR activists ask Dalit communities
Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam speaks at the concluding session of International Conference on Rights of Dalits at the senate bhaban of Dhaka University yesterday. On her right are National Human Rights Commission Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman and human rights activist Irene Khan and on her left are Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas and Dalit community leaders Hirendranath Biswas and Achinta Saha. Photo: Courtesy
Human rights activists yesterday suggested Dalit communities to form a greater coalition to initiate stronger movements at national and regional levels to end all forms of discriminations they face. Isolated movements will be of no help towards establishing equal opportunities, which are being denied just for being born in a certain community like that of Dalits, they observed. The rights activists were speaking at the concluding session of a two-day "International Conference on Rights of Dalits" organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University. The representatives of Dalit communities and human rights activists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the conference. “You (Dalits) have to be hard and conscious about your rights. Collective strategies are the best to protect your rights,” said Irene Khan, an internationally renowned human rights activist. There are around 50 lakh Dalits in Bangladesh and around 25 crore in Asia. In Bangladesh, around 80 percent of the Dalits do not have their own houses, are considered low caste people and untouchables and thus face severe discrimination in society. Though they are constitutionally entitled to enjoy the basic human rights just like any other Bangladeshi citizen, in reality, they face serious discrimination even in matters like access to education, healthcare and jobs. The biggest tragedy occurs when incidents of human rights violations and discrimination are overlooked. Accountability of the state and the people as a whole is imperative to ensure human rights for all, said Irene, also the former secretary general of Amnesty International. National Human Rights Commission Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said, “A bigger coalition is needed involving the mainstream population” for Dalits to realise their rights. “The leaders must be from within your community. Leadership must not be compromised if you want to win the battle,” he said, assuring all forms of support from the commission. Prof Debi Chatterjee from India suggested creating an alternative culture, which includes rejecting the ways of the Brahmins who maintain the caste system, for establishing the rights of the Dalits. Dhaka University Prof Abul Barakat said the Dalits must have constitutional recognition and be separately brought under the population census so that affirmative actions are taken to promote their causes. He demanded a separate budgetary allocation and quotas in public jobs and educational institutions for the Dalits. MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said the objective of the conference is to help the Dalits form a greater platform. “I hope the conference will help them.” Research Initiatives, Bangladesh Chairman Dr Shamsul Bari chaired the session.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments