Declaration
of the Dalit Development Front after the second congress held in London
The
Europe based Srilankan Dalit Development Front which is active since two years
had recently organised a congress open to public in London.
The
Dalit consciousness was introduced, emphasised and developed by the platforms
such as literary meetings and feminist organisation rallies and literary
magazines. And the Srilankan Dalit Development Front is the continuity of the
efforts made by the writers and the social workers who work for the social
justice.
Our
aim is to work against the arms culture and for the development of the socially
oppressed. In the war torn Sri Lanka, the socially backward classes are left
without any clear vision of the future.
In
present situation where a peaceful solution can possibly be reached, and the
resolutions concerning the future administrative structure are taken, we are
terribly worried about the situation of the Dalits in Sri Lankan Tamil Community.
What
will be the place occupied by the Dalits in the power transfer and the new
administrative structures which will come up as the result of power sharing?
It’s our duty to raise this question. We Sri Lankan Dalit
Development Front, we took part in a two day seminary organised by the United
Democratic Front of Sri Lanka in Stuttgart Germany in 2006. Political
Leaders like M. Ananthasankari, research scholars from Europe and human right
activists participated in this seminary. In this seminary, our front has
contributed a paper on the subject of political resolution.
We
actively participate in the debates organised by the democratic forums on the
theme of social justice in order to diffuse our ideas and positions.
To
raise the Dalit political consciousness amongst the Tamil people and to raise
the questions about the problems the Dalits face in different sectors of the
life we publish Vadu a monthly.
Last
October, we organised a congress at Paris in order to unite and motivate our
members. Many political activists from Sri Lanka participated in this event. At
the end of two days meeting, as an attempt to find a solution for the caste
problem in Sri Lankan Tamil Community, counselling papers were received from the
participants who came from England, France, Switzerland and Canada. And the debates based on these papers were held thereafter.
At the end of the meeting some resolutions were voted.
To
follow up the efforts, with the help of the friends living in London
sympathisers of DAlit Cause, the next meeting was organised in London on
February 16th and 17th 2008.
As the result of the debates and advises received in this meeting we have
voted the following resolutions:
- The
journals and the magazines should cease publishing the caste identity in the
advertisement of the marriages.
(This
resolution is voted, because, these advertisements encourage and emphasise the
caste identity. And they propagate and oppression note on the Dalits.
We consider these publications as violations of human rights. As a
progressive gesture, we urge the publishers to cease the publication of the
caste identities in the marriage advertisements.
2.
As an attempt to bring back the peace to the country, the solution of
administrative autonomy is envisaged to the Northern region. In the comity set
to design the structure of the future administration at least on member should
be from the Dalit Community.
It
can be observed very easily when on looks on the statistics on the employment
registers that the Dalit community members are excluded from the important
functions in the administrative hierarchy. And in the ongoing war, the most
affected community is the Dalit community. Proportionally, one third of the
Tamil population in Sri Lanka belongs to Dalit Community. This reality should
find its reflection in the nomination of positions in the provisory
administration which is to be set to administrate the North of Sri Lanka.
These resolutions are taken with the consent of
all the participants.
By this, we appeal to all friendly organisations to help us by diffusing
this message.
