National Chairman All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations

National President Lord Buddha Club

President All India Income Tax SC/ST Employees' Welfare Federation

Office/Corr. : B-113, Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi-110017
Tel: 011-26960022, 011-26534559
E-mail: buddha@ndf.vsnl.net.in

Educational Qualification M.A. (Pol. Science), LL.B, Ph.D Scholar

Background in brief Born on 1.1.1958 in vill. Ram Nagar, Distt-Allahabad . Did 10+2 in rural area and then enrolled for B.A. in Allahabad University but left it without completing and joined Jawahar Lal Nehru University. In 1988 I got selected in the Indian Revenue Service. I am doing Ph.D. at present and am Addl. Commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi.

Fight against Social Injustice and Contribution to the cause of the
Exploited Struggle for Effective Implementation of Reservation (Affirmative action)

The greatest contribution of Dr B.R. Ambedkar was by way of Poona Pact, 1932 by which Reservation was granted to Dalits. Had Reservation not been granted to Dalits, their progress would have been dismal. Their participation in the fields of industry, trade, media, profession, art and culture and agriculture is almost insignificant.

I can safely say that no other organisation or individual could take up the cause of reservation and its implementation and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations was created in October 1997 to which I was unanimously chosen as the National Chairman.

The Confederation gave a call for Rally on 27.11.97 in which about 1.5 lakh SC/ST employees and officers participated demanding withdrawal of the anti-reservation Office Memoranda issued on 1997 by the Department of Personnel and Training (D.O.P&T) dt. 30.1.97, 2.7.97, 22.7.97, 13.8.97 and 29.8.97); to enact Reservation Act; to give recognition to SC/ST Employees' Association; to empower the National Commission for SC/ST to extend reservation to higher judiciary, army and private sector organisations and to give time-bound promotion to Safai Karamcharis and to ban contract system of labour.

The Confederation met various representatives of the Government. A delegation led by me met his Excellency, the President of India on 6.2.98 and apprised him about our grievances. After the formation of the new Government we again met the highest representative. We met the President of India again on 1.7.98 to focus his attention on our problems which were hanging fire.

I persuaded all Dalit Members of Parliament to raise the issue in the House and as a result, the House was rocked by this debate for about 8 hours on 4.8.98. Such a long debate on reservation never took place in the history of India.

The SC/ST employees under my leadership made strongest possible protest at ITO Chowk, Delhi on 10.9.98, as a result of which traffic was completely paralysed for more than two hours. I along with 20 more employees were arrested and detained in the Police Station for 8 hours. In the same month, we staged a dharna at Gandhi Samadhi in support of our demands.

In order to further the cause of Reservation, we held a Maha Rally on 16.11.1998 in which about 7-8 lakh employees and officers of SC/ST participated. Even media, which normally does not report about SC/ST agitations, reported about their participation in lakhs. In a war or cause, every effort is to be made and considering this, we organised a get-together on 10.12.98 of Dalit Members of Parliament in which about 50 Dalit MPs participated and I impressed upon them the need to raise our voice in Parliament to draw the attention of the Government to our long pending demands. They did so accordingly and the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were completely stalled on 17 and 18th March 1999. Before this, the Lok Sabha was perhaps never stalled on Dalit issues, even on massacres. Again on the no-confidence motion days, the debates on issuance of Anti Reservation Office Memoranda rocked the House. When the Hon'ble Prime Minister spoke at the end he had to mention and assure about the withdrawal of the Office Memorandum.

Having waited for some time, we again approached the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 9th June 1999 to request him to honor his commitment in the Lok Sabha. To mobilise further support, we met the Hon'ble Minister for Public Grievances, Personnel and Pension on 21.6.99. Disappointed by all quarters, we again met his Excellency the President of India on 24.06.99 and apprised him of the developments and stressed the need to withdraw the O.Ms.

Dealing with Individual Grievances

A lot of individual grievances are being received which are disposed of by taking up matters with the SC/ST Commission and with other various authorities. Employees from all over the country approach the Confederation with grievances regarding discrimination in matters of transfers/postings, promotion, etc.

To give it proper shape as a mission we have set up our units in most of the states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujrat, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan etc. So also at district and tehsil levels so that ground for movement could be prepared in addition to redress their grievances.

It is not possible to incorporate all events of our struggle wages at district, state and central levels to draw the attention of the Government to our grievances. I can safely say that for the first time such a massive and constructive struggle for "Save Reservation" has been launched. It is a true tribute to Dr Ambedkar. There are many organisations and individuals who claim to be champions of the doctrine of Dr B. R. Ambedkar but have not been able to give shape to any movement for the implementation of Reservation.

For the first time an effective message could be sent across the country and as a consequence of this, politicians to human right champions have taken up the issue as a most wanted and long outstanding demand. So much so that Dalits have been awakened to this very important right. Because of our struggle even the Prime Minister promised on the floor of the House during this session and also during No Confidence Motion to review/withdraw these O.M.s. Now sooner or later, the Reservation Law is going to be made for proper implementation of reservation and for prescribing punishment to failure to implement the same.

Struggle for Social Change

In 1996 I founded the Lord Buddha Club for furthering the cause of Buddhishm, implementation of reservation, setting up of schools and vocational centres, for promoting the cause of human rights and economic development of Dalits. In a very short span of time, the Buddha Club could establish its branches and units all over the country.

Education

It has schools at Shikarpur - Muzaffar Nagar - Garhi Gaulat - Muzaffar Nagar, Berala Jat - Muzaffar Nagar, Kheru Karmu - Muzaffar Nagar, Ratnapur (Tehsil - Swar) Rampur, Kerchana - Allahabad, training centres for stitching and tailoring at Pilkhuva, Ghaziabad, Panipat, Garh - Ghaziabad, Kanker Khera - Meerut, coaching centres at Muzaffar Nagar, Karol Bagh - Delhi. Besides, more than 100 meetings, conventions and study circles have been organised to promote the ideals of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Buddhism

Dr B.R. Ambedkar had said that it was not in his control that he was born a Hindu but he would certainly not die as a Hindu. His most sincere and concrete ideal was to eliminate caste system through Buddhism. With this avowed aim of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in mind, I founded the Buddha Club so that Buddhism could be spread. Because of this, a new ray of hope for Dalits has been lighted. Upon this, we have organised various study circles, camps and public meetings. On every such occasion monks are invited and asked to deliver lectures and sermons. I have publicly announced to embrace Buddhism with lakhs of supporters on 14th Oct 2001. This issue I had raised in the First Dalit International Convention held at Malaysia in October 1998 to which I was an invitee. Besides, the issue of reservation was also raised in the convention.

Welfare of SC./ST Employees

I became the President of the Delhi Income Tax SC/ST Employees Association in 1996. Before I became its President, the Association was almost defunct and surprisingly Baba Saheb's Birth Anniversary was never celebrated by the Association. For the first time, his birth anniversary was celebrated in 1997 and has been celebrated every year since then. SC/ST employees of the Department posted in Delhi remember the struggle waged by Dr Ambedkar for them and pledge to follow his ideals. Besides, the SC/ST officers were hardly given meaningful postings in the Income Tax Department, but with our efforts all those who were denied such opportunities were given field jobs. Many charges in the Department did not have even SC/ST Associations, but now many such associations have seen the light of day. In 1998 I was also elected as the President of All India Income Tax SC/ST Employees Welfare Federation and with this, the welfare of SC/ST employees of the I.T. Department at national level has been taken up.

Social Harmony / Human Rights

I am patron and promoter of many institutions. In day-to-day life I am taking up the cause of human rights, because Babasaheb was first and foremost a great human right champion. Recently, Christians were attached at many places in India and it was I, on behalf of the Buddha Club, who condemned such brutal killings and inhuman activities. Because of this, Christians in this country and from outside contacted me and expressed their gratitude to me for taking up their cause. I have already started a Dalit-Christian Coordination programme in coordination with the Indian Social Institute and top Christian leaders like Mr John Dayal and Dr. Ambrose Pinto, etc.

The above struggle will continue. It will in fact be intensified as I have decided to further the ideals of Dr B.R. Ambedkar at any cost or sacrifice.

Dr. Udit Raj (Ram Raj)