Book throws focus on plight of marginalised SCs

It is rare to see a policeman take the pen to highlight social issues and when someone does, the pages contain solid researched material.

Aluri Sundar Kumar Das, who now heads the Department of Legal Metrology and IGP, is one such policemen who has written a book titled ‘Political Elite among Scheduled Castes’ highlighting the plight of the SCs in the country.

The book was released on Thursday at the Hindi Department in Andhra University by former Vice-Chancellor of Dravidian Universtiy K.S. Chalam, in the presence of former Rajya Sabha Member Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad and former professor Chandu Subba Rao.

Speaking to The Hindu after releasing the book, Mr. Sundar Kumar Das said, “This book is my research work on Scheduled Castes with special focus on how their voices are not being heard.”

According to him there are elites among the Scheduled Castes, but there is huge gap between the elites and the marginalised SCs.

“There are over 130 dalit MPs in Parliament and how many of them take up the cause of the common SCs. The last MP to take up the cause of the dalits was Ram Vilas Paswan. He had played a key role in the formulation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The SC voice has to be heard, then only they will gain self confidence and independence in its true sense,” he said.

Earlier, releasing the book, Prof. Chalam said dalit research scholars have to move away from European stereotypes and think innovatively.

He also said Dalits have to unite for their own betterment.