Dalit leader Vijay Kamble launches new forum

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Feb 16 (UNI) Noted dalit leader Vijay Kamble today announced the formation of a new forum 'Akhil Bharatiya Samajik Samata Manch (ABSSM) (All India Social Equality Forum).

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Kamble, one of the prominent labour leaders in the state, said the forum led by him, aimed to bring together unemployed dalit youths.

Mr Kamble, who has been associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) held that the so called established dalit leaders in the state are responsible for weakening of the dalit movement launched by late Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The forum would try and bring the lost glory of the real dalit movement initiated by the father of Indian Constitution, he said.

The ABSSM has decided to organise a series of programmes on the occasion of 2,550th Buddhajayanti on May 1 this year, to be held in the city.

General Secretary of the newly floated forum ABSSM Bhadant Aaupal told mediapersons that the link between the common dalit man and established political leaders had been missing for quiet some time and with the formation of this 'non-political' forum, Buddhist society in India would benefit.

Mr Kamble expressed concern over the recent massacre of dalits and said his forum would make sincere efforts to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

UNI