‘Expand MDGs in India to include social justice’

New Delhi: Social activists in India want the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to include achieving social equity and curbing human rights violations against certain communities. Many communities like tribals, Dalits and minorities have been denied their social, economic and cultural rights and are therefore languishing in poverty. MDG Campaign © Oxfam At a panel discussion on the release of the report - Millennium Development Goals and Dalits: A Status Report – activists said the MDGs have not focused on the human rights of certain groups which have been ostracized in India and prevented from accessing even the most basic of human rights. The report, released by Indian campaign group - NACDOR (National Conference of Dalit Organisations), measures the progress of the marginalized communities and says that these communities will not be able to achieve the development goals because of social discrimination. The MDGs were accepted by the governments in 2000 to reduce poverty, hunger, disease and improve education and health standards for all people across the globe. Though the MDGs have set targets which have to be met by all countries by 2015 but, in a review last year, it was found that many nations are lagging behind in implementing these targets. Director, Millennium Campaign, Salil Shetty said: “It is not a coincidence that 250 million of the poorest people in India happen to be tribals and Dalits. They are the most vulnerable people and if their human development standards are not improved India will fail to achieve the MDGs.” Member of Parliament Ramdas Atavale said: “Development is taking place, particularly in the fields of information technology as well as education, but the benefits are not reaching all people equally. A minority in India holds most of the country’s land resources while the vast majority of people are left with a small piece of property.” Another parliamentarian Sanjay Paswan felt that the Indian government may not be able to address the issues related to social inequity and discrimination therefore international agencies and global humanitarian organisations will have to pitch in for the fight for justice for the oppressed classes. Paswan added: “The marginalized communities in India have to not only focus on economic empowerment but also have to maintain their cultural identity.” The Deputy Director, Asia, UN Millennium Campaign, Minar Pimple agreed. He stressed: “The Dalit struggle in India will have to go beyond self respect, social, economic and cultural rights. It also has to include political rights. The struggle of the oppressed people is for human rights – it is about freedom from fear and freedom from hunger. This cannot be turned into a reality unless the government is accountable to its people.” © GCAP - www.whiteband.org / Millennium Campaign Hitting out at the Indian government for its aspirations of becoming a world power, the Oxfam MDG advisor, south Asia, B Murlidharan said: “We are the only country that aspires to be a world power which still has so many millions living in poverty and hunger. We will have to design our programmes and policies for the weakest and the poorest sections so that all of the people can benefit from government policies.” Atavale added that the government will have to benefit the marginalized sections by providing social security benefits like pensions and insurance particularly to people in the unorganized sector.

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