Former minister Satish Jarkiholi has expressed concern over the fact that Dalits and Adivasis were yet to get justice in various spheres of life despite being major caste groups. He was speaking at the conference of SC/ST employees of the Department of Posts in Belagavi on Sunday.
He said that rights and privileges did not flow to the communities automatically as they are majority communities. There was need for concerted effort and agitation to achieve them. Even today, power lies in the hands of minority communities, among the upper castes and upper classes. If we want political power, we should fight for it, he said. He asked members of communities to send their children to school and help them join the power structure. Unless our children are in vantage positions capable of taking decisions, we are bound to suffer, he said.
He criticised the union government for not releasing money contributed by the employees. Why are they delaying giving you a portion of your money? If it were to be a donation to be made to Tirupati temple, they would have given it right away, Mr. Jarkiholi said.
Secretary of the national unit M.K. Ahirwar, K.R. Kambaiah, Belagavi unit president N.R. Kotpal and others were present.