The Government Pre-University College grounds in Kolar witnessed the gathering of thousands of students on Tuesday to take mass oath to end the social scourge of untouchability.
The Dalitara Grihapravesha Rajya Samiti, which has been conducting awareness programmes against eradicating practice of untouchability, oragnised ‘Namma nade-Asprishyatemukta Bharatadede’ (Our march towards untouchability-free India).
Students of the Government Pre-University Colleges for Boys and Girls and Government First Grade College as well as their faculty participated in the programme.
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Administering the oath, the Deputy Commissioner K.V. Thrilokchandra called upon young boys and girls to work towards demolishing the invisible wall of untouchability.
“Taking an oath is not sufficient. One must follow the ideals of Constitution which preaches equality of all human beings”, Mr. Thrilokchandra said. “It is humanitarian duty to treat every one like humans”, he added.
Tahasildar Vijayanna, Samiti leaders G. Shivappa, T. Vijaykumar, Munivenkatappa, Zilla Panchayat member Chowdeshwari, Kannada Sahitya Parishat district president J.G. Nagaraj and Government P.U. College for Boys principal Venkataswamy are prominent among others who participated in the programme.
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Laudable initiative
G. Shivappa, a lecturer of Government College for Women in Kolar conceived the idea of launching a sustained movement against social evil of untouchability in the region, a largely Dalit inhabited area.
The Committee first organised temple-entry programme by Dalits. It was extended to entry of upper caste Hindus to the houses of Dalits and partaking food there. It apparently prompted the then Deputy Commissioner D.K. Ravi to partake food in a Dalit woman’s house on October 2, Gandhi Jayanthi day in 2014.
Such programmes to create awareness among people about the untouchability will be carried out in the days to come and we are planning take it to other districts also, Mr. Shivappa told The Hindu .