Meeting of backward, SC/ST bodies Monday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Not to be left behind in the race for ‘social justice’ and aimed at forming an ‘agenda for backward classes’, the representatives of the associations from the Backward and Scheduled Castes and Tribes will meet on Monday for forming a common platform of the Backward and Scheduled Castes and Tribes. The meeting convened at Kottayam, incidentally on the 104th birth anniversary of R Shankar, state’s first chief minister from the backward caste, is initiated by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam and will be attended by nearly 40 organisations from the Hindu community. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappalli Natesan will preside over the meeting which will begin at 10.30 am at Prince Hotel, Kanjikkuzhy. “Though the meeting was initially scheduled for February 28, many leaders couldn’t turn up because of the national strike. So a larger conclave was decided then. The meeting is aimed at strengthening these communities politically. Some communities have made considerable gains through their political strength and backward and Scheduled Castes and Tribes had to pay dearly for this,’’ coordinator C K Vidyasagar told Express. “There are lot of disparities existing. For example, the Backward and Scheduled Castes and Tribes comprise about 40 percent of the state’s population but they don’t own even 10 percent of the land,’’ he said. The organisers of this meet are aware of the threats lurking behind the surface of a caste-ridden society with demands of one group may be in conflict with that of the other. “It is a genuine issue. However, we will seek common ground which is acceptable to all and will start work on that,’’ said Vidyasagar. According to him, the state is ripe for accepting a backward agenda. The meeting will decide of steps to be formulated for the betterment of these communities. “It is mainly for attaining a five-point agenda namely land, power, wealth, employment and quality education,’’ said Vidyasagar. Meanwhile, Vellappalli Natesan had hinted of this agenda at the concluding session of the ‘Pulaya Samgamam’ held here on April 20.