The Historic Huzurabad Declaration
Vanam
Jwala Narasimha Rao
Millennium
Post, New Delhi (19-08-2021)
The Hans India (22-08-2021)
Dalit Bandhu Scheme, a landmark policy intervention towards Dalit
empowerment in Telangana, could potentially be replicated across the country-Editor
Powerful
public speech, which comes out of conviction, has been one of the driving
forces in the political landscape of any democratic country. Human history has
many examples about the influence of powerful speeches. Chief Minister K
Chandrashekhar Rao’s speech in Huzurabad on Monday the 16th
August,2021 is one of the rare public addresses which came from depths of his
heart, a rightful combination of political emotions, language and a classic
example about how a public speech should be. It had clarity, excellent
communicative and convincing skills with total grip on the listeners’
attention. It is a perfect translation of thoughts into words.
KCR
had timed it all so perfectly. From Huzurabad he wanted to give a call to the
state, its people in general and Dalits in particular about his innovative and
revolutionary brain child, the Dalit Bandhu Scheme and in the process he did it
exceptionally and exceedingly well. His public speech in Huzurabad, may well be
known hence forth from generations to come into the history records as the Huzurabad
Declaration! an emphatic statement.
KCR’s
others schemes, a plethora of them and many of them first of its kind in the
country, have been successful and became a role model for others in the country.
But his Dalit Bandhu Scheme should have a special mention in the present-day
time and in future too. The reason is both very simple and profound. Simple,
because KCR had explained the aims, objectives, and modalities of the scheme in
very simple words, profound because, Dalit Bandhu will for once and for all
change the lives of Dalits in State. Dalit Bandhu Scheme is not like some
welfare and development schemes where the beneficiaries are helped for once. It
is a scheme that will have far reaching positive effects on the entire Dalit
community in the State on a continuous basis.
The
uniqueness of the scheme is that it directly grants financial assistance to the
Dalit families not to fulfil their immediate needs but to start their own
economic activity which will make them financially self-sufficient forever. It
helps them to stand on their own and attain growth financially without
depending on any government or financial institution. It helps them to make a
respectable space for themselves in the society. Once the Dalits gain economic
self-reliance and have a respectable status in the society, the so-called
social discrimination will wither away.
CM KCR, as he himself admitted in the speech, did a lot of brain
storming with his officials, intellectuals, writers, people’s representatives
from all political parties and thinkers from the Dalit Community before making
an elaborate policy of Dalit Bandhu. The idea of Dalit empowerment took seed in
KCR’s mind 25 years ago in Siddipet when he started Dalit Chaitanya Jyoti, an
awareness program. Though the scheme was planned for launch more than a year
ago, it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As
dwelled at length by KCR, from village to the state level Dalit Bandhu Samithis
will be formed on par with Rythu Bandhu Samithis and they would monitor and
supervise the implementation of the scheme. Entire Dalit Bandh scheme would be
monitored by Dalit public representatives through committees with six members
at the village, 15 at mandal, 24 each at Assembly constituency and district and
42 members at the State level. There are about 25,000 Dalit public
representatives like village sarpanches, ward members, MPTC and ZPTC members.
Thus, an army of over one lakh Dalit soldiers would regularly monitor the
scheme.
Dalit Bandhu is expected to bring about a qualitative change in
the lives of SCs in the next four to five years. After the success of the pilot
project in Huzurabad, the entire SC population in the State, will be eligible
to avail the benefits of the scheme just as they are benefitting from the Rythu
Bandhu program for farmers.
Under Dalit Bandhu, every Dalit family in the State would be given
Rs 10 lakh to start a business venture of their choice, without any bank
linkages or facing the stress of having to return the money. The Rs 10 lakh
that would be deposited directly into the accounts of Dalit families will serve
as capital to start a business with the end goal being the economic empowerment
of the entire SC community. Besides elevating their financial position that
would also minimize, if not completely eliminate, social inequalities, the
scheme is expected to trigger a ripple effect that would have a direct impact
on the entire rural economy by igniting spending in other sectors.
KCR also
dropped a note of caution to the beneficiaries.
He advised the beneficiaries not to take up the same businesses in the
area. He asked them to collaborate and form into groups that would facilitate
setting up of bigger business ventures since they will have more investment at their
disposal. This would fetch more profits.
CM KCR said that a total of Rs 1.7 lakh crore is required to
extend Dalit Bandhu to all these SC families in the State. ‘We will allocate Rs
30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore in the State Budget every year for the next
three-four years to cover all the SC families under the scheme’ said Chief
Minister KCR.
Under Telangana Dalit Bandhu Scheme, Dalit Security Fund for
protection and safety of Dalits as a supportive mechanism, is also being set up
permanently with the government and beneficiary participation. This Fund will
be managed by the District Collectors with a committee of the beneficiaries.
Every year a minimum amount will be deposited and it will be continued
regularly to further help Dalits to become financially strong.
‘If a Dalit dies due to some accident or ailment, the family
should not slip into debt trap. To support them, this fund would act as safety
net’ the CM said. A sum of Rs 10,000 would be kept aside from the Rs 10 lakh
assistance to each family under Dalit Bandhu scheme. If there are 25,000 Dalit
families in Huzurabad assembly constituency, an amount of Rs 25 crore
protective fund would be kept aside with Rs 10,000 from each beneficiary. To
this, government would add another Rs 25 crore, making a fund of Rs 50 crore.
As
KCR himself, reiterated in his speech, the most important aspect of Dalit
Bandhu is in its implementation to the last letter and spirit, as KCR believes
in the adage of the proof of pudding is in its eating. Observing that Dalit
Bandhu covers every Dalit in the State including Dalit government employees,
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that Dalits would get
reservations in government works and contracts.
The public meeting in Shalapally, on the
outskirts of Huzurabad will be remembered for the landmark and historic Huzurabad
Declaration that the KCR made. This will ignite a new chapter in the
history of Dalits and will spread like a wild fire in the country to flourish
the community. (With inputs from VJM Divakar, senior
journalist)
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