CHAPTER - 18

MOTION REGARDING ATROCITIES ON HARIJANS

Lok Sabha , 7 April 1978

EDITORIAL NOTE

This speech was delivered in the background of several incidents atrocities against Dalits in different parts of the country. The incident a Belchi in Bihar was most serious one. There were also several incidents in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In that context, Y. B. Chavan had written to the Prime Minister ant requested him to have some constructive dialogue with political parties This issue was, not a question of one party or of one Government. The question was of national conscience and it was for the nation to face it in the correct spirit. It was not merely a problem of law and order. For Chavan the problem of Scheduled Castes, the problem of Scheduled Tribes and minorities was a problem which required awakening of social consicence of the nation.

The Government of the day looked upon this question merely as a law and order problem. In that connection as a former Home Minister, Chavan was of the view that the .law and order aspect of the problem had to be dealt with effectively not when incidents took place but the root causes of these incidents must be tackled effectively.

Shri Y. B. Chavan : If such atrocities have place in Maharashtra, I can say I am ashamed of it. There is nothing to be proud about, there is nothing to explain away. I am equally ashamed of it if it is happening in Maharashtra.

But my main point is that when we were trying to invite the attention of the Government and trying to have some sort of constructive dialogue with Government, I must say that out of despair I had to give up this effort. I would remind the Prime Minister about my correspondence with him on this question.

When I wrote to the Prime Minister, sending along with my letter, report of some of the members of my party who visited some of the States, not only Belchi - they had gone to Bihar, and then to Gujarat and some other places -I was told by the Prime Minister that this was politically motivated. Therefore, out of sheer despair I had to give up the correspondence.