Dalits to protest against proposed amendment to Tenency Act

Jaipur, Dec 2 (UNI) Dalits in Rajasthan are up in arms against the proposed amendment to Rajasthan Tenecy Act which allows non-Dalits to own Dalits lands, which are forbidden now.

To affirm their rights and register protest against the removal of restrictions on transfer of their lands to others, Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR) will be organising a state level rally and meeting in Jaipur on Decemebr 10 coinciding with the International Human Rights Day.

The Dalit organisation was holding the rally to highlight the adverse impact of the amendment to section 42-B of the Rajasthan Tenency Act 1955, to allow transfer of the title of Dalit lands to others by sale, auction or other transactions which was forbidden now.

Addressing a press conference here, CDR chairperson P L Mimroth today said the amendment of the law would deprive Dalits of their exclusive rights and open up gullible Dalits to the ''manipulations and subterfuge by land mafia''. He said the step is a retrograde one as the removal of the restriction would only help to worsen the social and economic condition as they will be deprived of their only possession of small and margin land holdings.

Accusing the state government of acting at the behest of pressure from land mafia, Mr Mimroth said the impression being given to the Dalits that they would get good prices for their lands in the open market was wrong as the availability of large tracts of land would actually bring down the prices.

UNI