Atrocities against Dalits legitimises casteist orientation: Swaraj Abhiyan

Swaraj Abhiyan National President Anand Kumar on Thursday said increasing incidents of atrocities against the Dalits had lent a kind of legitimacy to casteist orientation in the public sphere.

"It is difficult not to see a shocking link between beating of Dalits by self-appointed Gau Rakshak outfits in Gujarat, raping of a Dalit student by dominant caste gang in Haryana, and abusing of Mayawati by the second-most important BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh. It shows deep-rooted hatred for the Dalits in the hearts and minds of a certain kind of people of our time," Kumar said in a statement.

He said the issue was causing more concern because the forces against the Dalits did not want to hide it.

"The rise of such forces to power at the national level has created certain kind of legitimacy to casteist orientation in the public sphere."

Kumar's statement comes in the wake of a spurt in incidents against the Dalits across India.

"These people do not care that any attack on the Dalits is a negation of our Constitution. It needs introspection and effective intervention to curb their arrogance of power and aggressiveness towards the constitutional commitment of building a casteless nation with place of pride for all citizens," Kumar added.

--IANS

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