The SC/ST Budget Adhikar Andolan, a
coalition of several organisations, held a protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
on the 9th of May 2012 to demand that allocation for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes announced in the Union Budget be adhered to. NAMHHR
Secretariat joined the rally as the rights of SC/STs women are part of our
agenda. NAMHHR member, All India Dalit Mahila Ahikar Manch works on the
issue of Dalit Rights and was a key organizer of the rally.
The rally was organized to demand
for the shortfall in the amounts under the Special Component Plan and the
Tribal Sub Plan to the tune of Rs. Cr. 33,756.74 and Rs.
Cr.13,275.95 in the current Union budget 2012-13, be returned and
reallocated to schemes with a clear objective of bridging socio-economic gap
between SCs/STs and the General population with particular focus on health,
education,housing, assignment/acquisition of land, employment, income
generation,entrepreneurship and access to basic amenities. There were parallel
protests in 6 other states which culminated in a huge mass mobilization on
9thMay 2012 whose war cry was: “Chalo Parliament”.
Even the scorching heat (temperature
in Delhi was above 400C ! )did not deter those who joined the
protest march from several other states. The air rent with cries of
“Hamara Haq Leke rahenge”, “SauMein Pachees Haq Hamara” and “Common wealth took
our common wealth!”, as the March proceeded from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.
