Parliament 'gherao' by Dalits on Sept 14 against Gohana killing

New Delhi, Sept 6 (UNI) The 'Dalit Mahapanchayat', comprising leaders and intellectuals from ten states, has decided to 'gherao' Parliament on September 14 to protest the recent killing of a youth in Gohana and the ''apathetic'' attitude of the administration towards the weaker sections of society.

The President, Prime Minister and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi would be petitioned after the protest rally, said Surendra Chaudhary, Gen Secretary, Bharat Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (BDSS), a conglomerate of Dalit organisations from across the country, under whose aegis the 'gherao' would be organised.

''The 'mahapanchayat' has decided that the newly formed BDSS would be the umbrella under whose precincts the campaign would be spearheaded henceforth, which until now was being done in pockets.'' The event would be an eye-opener for the 'people in power' who refuse to pay heed to atrocities on Dalits, he said.

Rueing the in different attitude of parliamentarians, legislators and the administration, specially Delhi Assembly Speaker Prem Singh and the Dalit MLAs of Delhi, Mr Chaudhary said if even after the protest demonstration the government fails to take positive and adequate steps to mete out justice, a nationwide agitation would be launched.

''Despite the Congress being at the helm of affairs in Haryana (where the Dalit youth was murdered), in Delhi and at the Centre, it has failed to take any serious step against the perpetrators of the crime.'' The 'Dalit samaj' would do a rethink on its support to Congress in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections, if no positive steps were taken by the party to address the grievances of the Dalits, he added.

BDSS president Bal Kishan Mahar said the larger issue was the oppression of Dalits across the country even after 60 years of Independence.

UNI