Jaipur, The Kalbeliya community, famous for its sensuous dance forms and catching snakes, demanded urgent steps for bringing it to the mainstream of development and sought the Scheduled Caste status at a huge public hearing organized here today. The gathering sounded the bugle for struggle and listed the issues to be raised before the Rajasthan Government for ensuring the community’s growth.
The massive public hearing was organized at Gokul Vatika at Durgapura, where the members of the Kalbeliya community spoke about their difficulties and challenges in daily life in the presence of a battery of retired and serving officers, social activists and representatives of non-government organizations sympathetic to their cause. The public hearing was organized by the Dalit Adhikar Network working for welfare of Dalit communities in the state.
The speakers at the event called for giving basic facilities to Kalbeliyas and all pastoral communities and underlined the need for evolving an action plan for giving them the benefits of social security schemes, which they said would bring them to the mainstream of development. A memorandum in this connection will shortly be submitted to the Chief Secretary.
The Jawahar Kala Kendra Director-General, Mr. Umrao Salodia, retired IAS officer Mr. J.P. Vima, retired District and Sessions Judges Mr. R.K. Akodia and Mr. H.P. Verma, retired RAS officers Mr. Gopal Das, Action Aid’s Regional Manager for Gujarat and Rajasthan Mrs. Shabnam Aziz, Samagra Seva Sangh president Mr. Sawai Singh and Dalit Adhikar Network’s State Coordinator Mr. Tulsidas Raj were among those who attended the public hearing and listened to the grievances of Kalbeliyas.
Mr. Tulsidas Raj pointed out that the members of the castes such as Kalbeliya, Sapera, Nat, Kanjar, Sathia, Bawari, Bagri, etc., were still far away from the mainstream of society and were passing a life of deprivation and poverty. The community leaders have been organizing meetings, seminars, awareness drive and marches to evolve a new thinking among them and generate awareness about their rights for the last five years.
Mr. Raj said the Kalibeliyas add the word “Nath” as surnames with their names and were mentioned as OBCs in the revenue records. They are actually Scheduled Castes, but they do not get the SC certificates. No efforts have been made at the district and block levels for connecting these sections with the mainstream of society.
The speakers called upon the newly elected Vasundhara Raje government in the state to formulate an action plan for providing the facilities of housing, education, employment and medical services to Kalbeliyas and link them with the social security schemes.
The memorandum addressed to the Chief Secretary demanded that a member of the Kalbeliya community be appointed the Chairman of the Rajya Ghumantu Jati Kalyan Board. Land plots must be allotted in cities and villages free of cost to the pastoral community to enable them to establish their residence permanently.
The Kalbeliya leaders said the District Collectors must be given unambiguous instructions to issue Scheduled Caste and domicile certificates to Kalbeliyas, said the memorandum. Besides, an extensive survey of these pastoral communities must be undertaken to prepare their data base, on the basis of which a plan must be formulated for their development.
The participants in the public hearing said the Centre’s allocation for development of pastoral tribes must be utilized fully and land must be allotted for cremation ground for the Kalbeliya community.
The dancers belonging to the community made impressive performances at the event, while the members of the community from 20 districts of the state presented their views and opinions at the public hearing.
The Kalbeliyas were earlier known for their frequent movement from one place to another and their main occupation is catching snakes and trading snake venom. For several centuries, they have been living a nomadic life.
Kalyan Singh Kothari
Media Consultant
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