Plight of the Dalits
The fact that members of the Dalit community are being deprived of basic services such as education, proper sanitation facilities and drinking water, symbolises the deeply ingrained injustice persisting in our society still today. According to two research-based books launched recently, Dalit children face financial constraints at home and harsh discrimination at school, greatly restricting their access to education. The community also undergoes discrimination when using public water sources.
The facts revealed by the books are extremely disturbing but not new. Much has been written about the predicament of the so called low-caste community and it seems very little has been done to improve their condition. As Bangladesh's economy surges, the contrast between the shining face of development and the abject poverty that is the reality for many Dalits is all too obvious in the country. What kind of a society denies fundamental services like education and water to a section of its citizens who work silently but tirelessly as garbage pickers, toilet cleaners, street sweepers and shoe-shiners—jobs considered "dirty" and hence not deserving of respect?
Development is as much about economy as it is about promoting human dignity and freedom to choose. And a society is as strong as its weakest members. The development projects and programmes undertaken by the government must be inclusive of all.
It is also high time that we got rid of all ignoble discriminatory systems.
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