Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday highlighted the need for a caste census while recalling Dr BR Ambedkar's historic Mahad Satyagraha, as he discussed the ongoing struggles of Dalits for equal access to governance, education, and resources with Professor Sukhadeo Thorat, a Telangana caste survey panel member.
During his interaction with Thorat the Congress leader underlined that Ambedkar's fight against caste-based discrimination remains unfinished and must continue with full force. Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "The fight for share that began 98 years ago continues. On 20 March 1927, Babasaheb Ambedkar directly challenged caste discrimination through the Mahad Satyagraha. This was not just a fight for the water right, but also for equality and respect." https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1902715558791090559 He further added, "We discussed the importance of this Satyagraha with Prof Thorat, a well-known educationist, economist, expert on Dalit issues and member of the study committee on caste survey in Telangana. During this time, we also discussed in detail the struggle of Dalits for access to governance, education, bureaucracy and resources that is still going on." "Caste census is an important step towards bringing out the truth of this inequality, while its opponents do not want to let this truth come out. Babasaheb's dream is still incomplete. His fight is not just about the past, it is also about today - we will fight it with all our might," Gandhi added. During the discussion, Gandhi and Thorat spoke about the ongoing challenges Dalits face in accessing governance, education, and resources. Gandhi slammed those opposing the caste census, saying they wanted to keep the truth hidden. He concluded by stressing that Dr Ambedkar's fight for equality remains relevant today and must continue. (ANI)
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