Urgent Appeal - Endorse the Draft Recommendations on SCP of the NAC - Working Group on Dalits

Dear Friends

Greetings! Please permit me to take a different line on this issue. The Task Force on SCSP which submitted its report to the Planning Commission on 25 November 2010, found gross violations by almost all the Ministries/Departments as far as allocations as per the SCSP/TSP guidelines are concerned. But surprisingly, in its recommendations, the same Task Force headed by none other than Dr. Narendra Jadhav, suggested a four fold categories for Ministries/Departments for streamlining SCSP/TSP allocations. In Category- I, 43 Ministries have been left out of any obligation to allocate funds for SCs and STs. Even other three categories do not do much justice as far as allocation or non-allocation is concerned.

 

There has been a persistent demands from several Dalit organisations over the years to bring greater accountability in SCSP allocations and even otherwise. Non-allocation, diversion and lapsing of funds should be treated as a cognisible crime under Section 4 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities Act, 1989) and penalised accordingly. These are clearly a sign of "Wilful Negligence" which Section 4 deals with. The "Institutionalised Impunity" that the "Duty Bearers" enjoy must be cracked up to ensure growth with justice.

 

And now we have another set of recommendations coming in from National Advisory Council, which to my little understanding, does not go beyond simple rhetoric of inclusive growth and empowerment. Without credible substance and enough teeth to handle the recalcitrant Ministries/Departments, it would remain a meaningless exercise. Moreover, this new set of recommendations does not say anything about the 43 Ministries/Departments which have been excluded from any kind of obligations for SCSP allocations nor does it touches on issues related to non-allocation, diversion and lapsing of funds to be treated as a penal offence.

 

Strengthening of Constitutional Bodies/Institutions like NCSC/NCST and several other nodal agencies, which are primarily entrusted with monitoring duty as far as SCSP/TSP allocation are concerned, and even otherwise, did not find any merit for inclusion in this new set of recommendations. 

 

I am afraid if these new set of recommendations are going to be of much help in addressing the issues that several Dalit and Adivasi Organisations have been raising over the years. It is high time to go beyond rhetoricand start working for social transformation and economic emancipation.

 

 

 

With Regards and In Solidarity

Umakant, Ph.D

Independent Researcher and Human Rights Advocate

New Delhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality. 
B.R.Ambedkar

From: qadeeroy <qadeeroy@gmail.com>
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Sent: Thursday, 10 November 2011 11:01 AM
Subject: [PMARC] Urgent Appeal - Endorse the Draft Recommendations on SCP of the NAC - Working Group on Dalits

Dear Paul,

I shall be sending the endorsement tomorrow to the NAC.

While there is no hesitation in endorsing these demands, I feel that they do not address the basic issues which all of you have been raising from time to time regarding the deep-rooted discrimination faced by Dalits. More dedicated funds, schools, employment, and basic amenities are likely to contribute to greater social mobility but that will be in the same social structure. If you want to bring about some basic changes in the structure through the planning process then perhaps some more innovation has to be exhibited in both thinking as well as demands.

Best wishes

Dunu

On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 8:40 AM, Paul Divakar <pauldivakar@ncdhr.org.in" >pauldivakar@ncdhr.org.in> wrote:

Dear Friends,

Greetings!

As you are aware, several Dalit and Adivasi leaders, movements, platforms and organisations and those in solidarity with have been urging for the effective implementation of the Special Component Plan for SCs and Tribal Sub Plan. NCDHR (National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights) along with many other platforms has been campaigning on this and supporting these efforts not only at the national but also in several states.

Responding to the concerns expressed, the Working Group on Dalit issues of National Advisory Committee, convened by Shri Harsh Mander and Ms Farah Naqvi, after due consultations with Dalit Organisations and experts has submitted Draft Recommendations on reforming Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes. The draft recommendation are pasted below for your ready reference and can also be downloaded from the website address (http://nac.nic.in/press_releases/wg_scsp.pdf). The National Advisory Council, has requested for comments on these Draft Recommendations, which will be considered this in the forth coming NAC meeting in the 3rd week of November. The dead line is 18 November.

May I therefore urgently request you to kindly send your endorsements and any further suggestions to strengthen the draft. Some of the Salient recommendations are:

· A Central legislation for the SCP should be enacted

· SCSP funds to be made non-lapsable and non-divertible

· SCP allocation to be equivalent to the proportion of Scheduled Castes in the population at national and state level, should be set apart before the Plan outlays are allocated to the Ministries/Departmentsand the practice of showing notional outflows by Ministries/Departments to account for SCSP shall be discontinued.

· Schemes to be accorded highest priority in the 12th Plan period

o Two residential schools one each for boys & girls – to be set up in each rural block as well as urban areas per 1 lakh population.

o Pre-matric and post matric scholarships schemes to extend support to all students belonging to scheduled caste, except those excluded based on well defined criteria. The quantum of support should enable the students to access quality education either in public or private sector.

o Schemes to secure greater access of Schedules castes to irrigated land, promotion of self employment schemes, and enterprise development.

o Basic amenities conforming to certain quality norms should be provided to all SC localities.

While endorsing the Draft Recommendations for reforming SCP, I request you to press for NAC to Draft Bill for SCP legislation with due consultations to be place in the forthcoming Winter Session and also for a constitution of a National and Sate Authorities for SC Development for effective implementation.

Endorsements and recommendations can be sent by email to wgdalits@nac.nic.in or by post latest by 18^th Nov 2011 to the following address:

The Secretary, Working Group on Dalit Issues, National Advisory Council, 2 Moti Lal Nehru Place, Akbar Road, New Delhi -110011

In Solidarity

N. Paul Divakar

General Secretary, Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan

National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, New Delhi.

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Sample Endorsement Letter

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Mail to: wgdalits@nac.nic.in

To

The Secretary,

Working Group on Dalits,

National Advisory Council,

2 Moti Lal Nehru Place,

Akbar Road, New Delhi -110011

Sub: Endorsement of the Draft Recommendations on Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes

Respected Madam / Sir,

We would like to congratulate you and express our solidarity and thanks for bringing the Draft Recommendations on SCP. We are happy to see that finally crores of Dalit voices are being heard and action being taken for effective implementation of the SCP for SCs.

We hereby endorse the Draft Recommendations on Reforming Special Component Plan.

We further urge you to

1. bring a Special Component Plan Bill to be tabled in the forth coming Winter Session.

2. to constitute National and State Scheduled Caste Development Authorities to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of the SCP legislation.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,