New CDS facility to be a one-stop shop for Dalit studies

The new facility of the Centre for Dalit Studies (CDS) coming up in Borabanda here will be a one-stop shop for everything to do with marginalised communities in the society, said its Chairman Mallepalli Laxmaiah.

Coming with a built-up area of 65,000 square feet over six floors, on 1,550 square yard of Government land, the project estimated at ₹ 21 crore is a gift from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, he said. Although it is officially slated for completion by January-next, Mr. Laxmaiah said the pace at which work was going on would see it up and running by Dasara.

“We are reviewing everyday progress of work and we are confident that it will turn out to be a model for other States to replicate,” he said, urging those involved to continue to keep up the pace and even step it up wherever they could. After an internal meeting on Tuesday, the meeting hall was thrown open. In the presence of eminent persons, what was termed a unique interactive portal

www.dalitconcerns.com , was clicked open. The interactive portal had provisions for those interested in serving poor dalits and helping them rise up the social ladder.

“Like I was inspired by a Class IV employee in Warangal who saved a few thousands every year and gave things like stationery and uniforms to poor students, there are several people out there who wish to help but do not know how. This portal will give them information about how to reach out to the underprivileged,” Mr. Laxmaiah said.

Those who did the honours included former Chief Secretary Kaki Madhava Rao, educationist and former MLC, Chukka Ramaiah, senior journalist K. Ramachandramurthy and CDS Director, Y.V. Satyanarayana.

They sang paeans of unsung heroes who had broken away from existing hegemony and lent their voice to Dalit movements over the decades. “Most of us had Brahmins as teachers in school and gave their best to us in terms of education and later opportunity,” they said, recalling the late S.R. Sankaran.

The turnkey project is being built by True Build Technologies. “We are touting this as a true model because we are offering an integrated solution of civil construction to outfitting the facility with advanced equipment, incorporating all that is needed for audio-video conferencing and digital classrooms,” said its Managing Director S.S. Raju.