New Delhi. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge strongly raised the issue of caste discrimination in the House. He said that there is often talk about the upliftment of Dalits, the deprived and the weaker sections, but now the time has come for concrete initiatives to be taken on the ground. Social justice is not just a slogan but the soul of the Constitution and it is the collective responsibility of everyone to protect it.
Referring to an incident in Odisha, Congress President Kharge said that when we talk about social development and unity in the twenty-first century, such incidents show us the mirror. He told that the boycott has been going on in an Anganwadi center in Odisha for the last three months because the food there is being prepared by a Dalit woman helper and cook. Some people of a particular community are refusing to give that food to their children. He said that this is not just an insult to a woman, but a test of constitutional values and social consciousness.
He said that Anganwadi centers are the foundation of children’s physical and mental development. If caste prejudice is promoted there, it will affect the minds and future of children. This kind of discrimination in front of small children can sow the seeds of division and hatred within them. He described it as against the spirit of the right to education under Article 21(a) of the Constitution and the nutritional responsibility of the state under Article 47.
Kharge said that this incident should not be ignored as just a social dispute. This must also be seen in the context of widespread caste-based discrimination at workplaces. He mentioned the allegations of institutional discrimination that came to light after the inhumane incident of a tribal laborer in Madhya Pradesh, the suicide of a Dalit government employee after alleged harassment in Gujarat and the death of a senior police officer in Chandigarh. According to him, these incidents show that caste bias exists in the society as well as the institutional structure.
Violation of the Constitution
He said that such behavior is a clear violation of Articles 14, 15 and 17 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality, prohibition of discrimination and abolition of untouchability. Also, strict laws like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are also in place to prevent such crimes and punish the culprits.
Government should take such matters seriously
Kharge demanded from the government that such matters should be taken extremely seriously. Wherever incidents of caste discrimination come to light, prompt and impartial investigation should be conducted and strict action should be taken against the culprits and safety and justice should be ensured to the victims. He also expressed the need to run awareness campaigns in sensitive institutions like Anganwadi, so that values of equality, respect and social harmony can be developed in the minds of children.