Civil society of Dalits, minorities push for Bahujan Lokpal Bill

Leaders from backward and minority communities have decided to urge the government to include the demands of Bahujan Lokpal Bill while passing the Lokpal law.

At a press conference on Friday, Dalit and minority leaders asserted that the government Bill which was pending for consideration before the Standing Committee of the Parliament was not strong enough to book the corrupt and urged the government to consider the features of Bahujan Lokpal Bill along with others.

The press meet, organised by the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations, was addressed by chairman Dr. Udit Raj; PS Krishnan, Retd. IAS; Peace Party leader Yusuf Ansari, All India Christian Council leader John Dayal, civil society activist Shabnam Hashmi, among others.

"We are of the strong opinion that unless corporate houses, NGOs and media are included in the ambit of the Bill, there will not be much impact to check graft. In the Lokpal Committee, the representation of Dalits, Backwards and Minorities should be there, as it is in the govt. services," they expressed in a statement.

"Our society is not only caste ridden but at the same time it is multicultural and religious also. So the representation of each major community should be taken care of. Corruption is more social in nature than political, therefore , without addressing it, there is no possibility to weed it out."

On August 24, the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations organized a mammoth rally to press its demands. However, unlike the news of Anna Hazare, not a single electronic channel had telecasted the event.

"The presence of participants in Anna Hazare's movement is not only exaggerated but telecast continuously. There is plurality and diversity in the society and so our views should have been also shown. In these circumstances, we demand representation of these communities in the structure of Lokpal Committee," the organisation expressed.

Dr. Udit Raj said that there were misgivings that the August 24 rally was against Anna Hazare agitation. That is not true, he clarified.

"The government is not treating us at par with Anna Hazare and this is proved by the fact that so far we have not been consulted and nothing communicated to us," Raj rued.